FAQ´s
About the Thatch & Structure!
1.- Quality of the natural Thatch?
We only use Commercial Grade-A thatch – the highest quality in the industry. We comply with environmental guidelines. Our thatch is hand-woven thatch produced in Mexico, using environmentally-friendly practices that allow for the highest quality thatch that will last. Other companies often will push their thatch to be produced quickly, or grown and produced in China, rather than using thatch harvested in the regular thatch-harvesting season. This means their thatch is not properly dried, palm is not woven to last, and you receive an inferior product. We use thatch grown in Mexico and woven by families who have a long tradition in supporting their families with this trade. We often have clients who originally went the “cheap” route, and realized that they got a cheap product. When it comes time to rethatch their palapa, they turn to us to fix the mistakes. Then they find that our products often outlast their previous product.
2.- Does the thatch sheds or unravel?
The capes do not shed or unravel. You can easily cut and trim the thatch pieces to fit corners and sides. Gorilla thatch: Is sewn at the top, so you can cut off the length needed and the off the ends to keep them in place.
3.- What´s the purpose of the fishnet?
Giving sturdiness and a clean look the nylon support netting helps get the most life out of your new thatch providing extra support to keep the thatch in place.
4.- Does the thatch requires special care?
No. When thatch is new and first exposed to the rain, the palm sometimes leaches a natural runoff that can spot the ground, but washes off. To avoid unnecessary cleanup work, the thatch should be thoroughly hosed down. This may be repeated a couple of times. Very rarely excessive humidity in the environment can cause light mildew spotting of the palm material to occur. This can be left alone with no ill-effect to the palm or can be partially removed by spraying the affected area with 25% bleach/75% water mixture, then thoroughly hosing off affected areas. Do this on a sunny day
5.- Do the palapas withstand heavy winds?
The woven thatch on properly installed palapas holds up well in heavy winds up to 75 m/h – tiny woven holes permit air circulation and will “breathe” with the wind instead of fighting it as canvas or metal does.
6.- How long does the thatch lasts?
The Mexican Palm Thatch lasts outdoors approximately 3-5 years, depending on the climate. If there is a lot of humidity, wind or rain, your thatch will last closer to the lower end of the spectrum. You can purchase new layers of thatch through our "SHOP" page
.
The African Reed Thatch lasts approximately 5-10 years with the same determinants on life span as the palm thatch.
The Gorilla Thatch last approximately 5-10 years with the same determinants on life span as the palm thatch.
The Synthetic Thatch last 20+ years and 2 of the 3 brands we handle warranty their products for 20 years.
7.- What can I do to expand my thatch life span?
Applying fire retardant might help expand the life span of your thatch, We recommend avoiding wear & tear caused by overhead leaves. Also it might be advantageous to cover your thatch if you live in an area that is always wet, or when it snows.
8.- If there are cracks in my wood structure can I return it?
The term for these naturally occurring cracks is "checking" and the answer is "no." The wood comes this way, adding to its authentic rustic look. Don't worry, checking occurs mostly on the surface of the wood and does not affect the structural performance or integrity of the wood. Your palapa structure is safe!
Thatch sales are FINAL. We encourage our clients to verify exact size needed, style and quantity. Being that is a handmade product that needs to be handled with care. We do not sale or utilize in our installations returned items.