My husband and I a while ago were talking about the thatched roof on the Animal Kingdom Hotel. I said it was a real natural thatch material and he said it wasn't. Although I don't know what "thatch" is I know it is a natural grass or plant of some type. I just saw the post here about the new bathrooms in Fantasyland getting thatch on the roofs and it brought back that conversation to me. So the question is - is it real or not?
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Thatched Roof
- Thread starter Mammymouse
- Start date
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I don't think public building codes would take to kindly to a real thatched roof. You know...fire and all! But it might be a good fake, fire resistant material, but only for show. Not real!
The thatched roofs in the Africa area of DAK are authentic thatch. It's a form of grass.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
That may or may not be true...I don't know, but I do know that if you have a place where the public will gather and stay for any amount of time...real thatch will be a very loud no - no!
WannaBWendy
Well-Known Member
I remember from the balcony having the impression that they were real, but how could that be? It would seem a safety issue. Isn't there a sign somewhere on property about people being brought in to thatch the roofs? Or did I dream that? ( I dream a lot of things these days!)
It is true. They brought in actual thatchers from Africa. Saw it on a documentary.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
For the park or for the lodge? I can see it for the park...even though I would imagine it had to be fire proofed somehow, but I can't see it for the hotel.
Park.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Thatchers could have been used to thatch man made materiel as well. You know stuff that looks like grass but isn't. That would make it a real thatched roof, just not an authentic thatched roof. Wow, I never thought that I would have any reason to ever use the word thatched so many times in one paragraph.
How much thatch, could a thatch man thatch, if a thatch man could thatch, thatch?
jayhawkmickey
Well-Known Member
They were re-thatching some of the roofs in AK last year when we were there and they were using a man made plastic substitute and replacing the original natural grass thatch from the original build. Authentic thatch is anything from pond reeds (Europe), to grasses (Africa), and palm fronds in more tropical climates. The real thing can last 30-40+ years on a quaint cottage in Ireland but in moist, steamy Fla. I wouldn't expect to get more than 10 years at the most. It can be upwards of a foot thick and make a great roof, but just like igloos are great for the arctic, natural thatch isn't made for WDW's climate, at least not for the long haul. There's my dork moment for the day.
Goofnut1980
Well-Known Member
I watched the making of Animal Kingdom and they mention they brought real thatchers to do the roofs.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Yup, saw the same one...I'm talking about if it was real thatch...I say it isn't! Man-made fire resistant material. Public safety wouldn't allow for anything else.
When I made the "may or may not" comment, I was just being incoherent. Perhaps a better way to have started that would to have used the word, "regardless". They used skilled "thatchers" but didn't use the traditional, highly flammable, material.
Thanks everyone for your answers. I've never seen the word thatch used with such enthusiasm! Anyway, real or not - those roofs sure look awesome!
Tip Top Club
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately there is no real thatch left at either Disney's Animal Kingdom, or Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. DAK Lodge is a bit too large and important to have real thatch done, so that one's never been real, however, Harambe originally had all real thatching. It has slowly been replaced over the years though, and the last one was replaced earlier this year.
Thatch Roofing, A.C.E. Thatch & Bamboo, Inc.:
The Thatch Roofs Disney's Animal Kingdom was 100% real, yes that is correct 100% natural, fact is I installed and maintained the thatch roofs there.
However most of the natural thatch has been replaced with Synthetic Thatch, and for other reasons beyond safety because Disney is diligent and uncompromising when it comes to guest and employee safety, without a doubt the thatch roofs at Animal Kingdom was/is as safe as any conventional roof.
Others claim to have installed the thatch roofs there, but that's not true, fact is I personally sourced, procured, harvested, imported, and with assistance of staff installed 100% of the Natural African Grass Thatch, Natural Bamboo, Exotic Logs and Poles at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, another fact is that Disney wrote about my staff and I, you can read about us in the book "The Making Of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park", a entire page is dedicated to the thatched roofs, my staff and I.
I am the inventor and manufacturer of SynThatch® artificial thatch roof veneer.
Greetings all,
I am Val Deer - President & CEO of A.C.E. Thatch & Bamboo, Inc.
If you have any questions about the thatch roofs at any Disney Property, or any type of thatch roofing anywhere in the world I may be able to provide answers, feel free to email me at AceThatch1@msn.com. Thank you, Val Deer
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
So, how much thatch, could a thatch man thatch, if a thatch man could thatch, thatch?
of thatchSo, how much thatch, could a thatch man thatch, if a thatch man could thatch, thatch?
A thatch man can thatch enough thatch to satisfy anyones need for thatch, and thats a heap of thatch.
prfctlyximprct
Well-Known Member
Joe Rohde has been talking a lot about thatching on his Instagram!