THATCHING ON THE FAEM 



319 



passes it round the bundle (the string -with which the bundle was originally tied 

 being removed), and pushes it through to the under thatcher again. 



The latter then passes the needle round the thatching lath and out again, 

 through the thatch, to the upper thatcher. This process is repeated as often as 

 necessary. Every time the under thatcher pulls the" string through he should 

 tug, while the upper thatcher simultaneously thumps the grass at the place 

 where the stitch is being made ; or some similar method should be adopted in 

 orier to get tight stitches. 



"When the second layer of grass is fastened, the thatchers proceed to even off 

 the roof. As shown in Fig. 221, the roof surface is stepped. To remove these 

 steps a board with a serrated face and a handle on the back (Fig. 222)— or a 

 leather strap on the back (Fig. 223)— is used. By means of such boards the grass 

 is pushed up till the surface of the roof coincides with the line AB (Fig. 221). 



Fig. 223. 



This process is carried out after each two layers of bundles are tied on, not 

 after the whole roof-slope is completely thatched. 



The lower layers may be fixed by the upper thatcher standing on a ladder. 

 Afterwards, when he is working higher up the roof-slope, he may use as a 

 foot-rest a pole or board lying on the completed thatching, and slung from 

 the rafters higher up by ropes at each end. 



As the ridge of the roof is approached shorter bundles are used. The tips 

 of the highest row of bundles are bent over the roof ridge and tied to the 

 highest lath of the other roof-slope. 



The ridge capping may consist of galvanised iron sheets. These sheets 

 should have a line of holes punched about 2 inches in from each edge, through 

 which a galvanised iron wire is passed to lace the capping to the purlins. The 

 holes should be no larger than required, and soldered after the wire is in 

 position ; the same remarks apply to flashings, which will be discussed later. 



Reed Sub-Stratum. — A 1-inch layer of reeds below the grass thatching is of 

 advantage, especially in the case of buildings without ceilings, as it prevents short, 

 broken pieces of grass from falling into the room below. Most of this, how- 

 ever, should have been previously removed by combing the bundles. The reeds 

 may be secured as follows : Above a purlin or thatching lath about every 3 feet, 

 according to the length of the reeds, a line of thick galvanised wire is laid 

 horizontally along the roof. This wire is pulled down tightly on top of the 

 reeds by thinner wires which are looped to it, and have their ends passed through 



