Change a Thatch Roof to Onduvilla Tiles

Recently we have had a lot of clients looking for an alternative roofing solution to thatch but not necessarily wanting to lose the shape and curve of their existing roofs. At Cintsa Thatching we offer two suitable, lightweight solutions to this problem. The first - Onduline roof sheeting - has been discussed quite a lot recently on our blog (you can read the articles here: "Combining Onduline and Thatch on a Roof" and "Onduline Over-Sheeting on Thatch Roofs").

The second solution is a premium roofing tile by Onduline, called Onduvilla.

The thatch roof before...

The onduvilla tile roof after

Onduvilla tiles are flexible, not rigid like a standard roofing tile, and can be fitted to existing thatch roof structures with curves and contours.

Onduvilla curving with the shape of the roof at a drainage
valley section

Onduvilla tiles curving with the shape of
the original thatch roof structure

The Process of Changing the Thatch Roof to Onduvilla Tiles

Unlike a lot of thatch roof renovations, Onduvilla does not require the entire roof structure to be stripped - only the thatch.

The thatch is stripped from the roof and a new ceiling is fitted. There are a wide range of ceilings available according to your taste and budget. In the case below a faux thatch ceiling was fitted so that the aesthetics from the inside of the house did not change.

Thatch roofing was stripped from
the roof, a thin layer of thatch is re-applied
to make up the faux thatch ceiling

An internal view of the thatch
ceiling

From the inside, the roof looks as though it is thatched

Once the ceiling is fitted, insulation can be applied, along with the wooden branderings which are fitted to follow the shape of the original roof structure, and will hold the onduvilla tiles.

Thatch ceiling is fitted to the bottom roof (left), while Onduvilla tiles
are fitted over the branderings and insulation on the main roof

Insulation and branderings are fitted to the bottom roof (left), following
the curves of the existing thatch roof structure

Once the insulation and wooden branderings are fitted, the onduvilla tiles can be fixed to the substructure with safe-cap screws which match the colour of the onduvilla. Ridges and valleys are also fitted to match the rest of the roof.

Matching ridging is being fitted to the completed roof

Matching fascia boards are also added at the edge of the roof

The completed roof

The thatch ceiling is seen under the roof overhang

Skylights can also be fitted into onduvilla

Onduvilla tiles are available in a range of colours and are coloured using a "shading" technique which means that every tile is slightly different and gives a Mediterranean look.

Shaded red onduvilla tiles

Black onduvilla tiles

Shaded green onduvilla tiles

Find out more about converting thatched roofs to Onduvilla tiles.