How does a thatch roof work and why don’t they leak?

How does a thatch roof work and why don’t they leak?

When visiting northern Uganda last week, I asked a wise soul, whose name was Francis, how a thatch roof actually worked. Francis’s nephew, Erick, acted as translator and between the two of them, I got much more than an education.

If rain hits a single layer of thatch, water would go right through it. But if rain hits multiple layers of thatch, it is deflected and will run across the surface, provided the downward slope or angle is sufficient.

During a rainstorm, the top inch or so of a typical thatch roof might be wet, but the bottom layers........

© Sarnia Observer