Thatching is one of the traditional roofing handcrafts in France.
Over the centuries, we saw the development of different methods and aesthetics for thatched roofs, that varied depending on the area. France is incredibly rich in landscapes, and our regions provide reeds and rye straw for French cottages, which are found mainly in Brittany, Normandy, but also in Camargue, in the south of the country as well as in the Pyrenees and the Alps.
Originally, we would work with the horizontal or vertical technic (this last one is more specifically used in Brière), with a circular needle and using strings to maintain the bundles. The ridge is usually made of a mix of clay and plants (succulents), or with peat.
Today, more than 100 companies specialise in this art of roofing, some keeping alive our traditional methods, and most also working with the so-called hollandaise technique (with stainless steel thatching screws, and making the ridge with tiles).
The region of Camargue provides most of our local resources, where the thatched houses have a very different aesthetic (the roof, instead of having an even surface, looks like steps).
French thatchers are working on more than 50 000 m2 of roofs that are covered with reeds or, in a smaller proportion, with straws (less than 2 per cent).
ANCC (Association Nationale des Couvreurs Chaumiers) was founded in the 80s and counts among its members women and men from the profession.
Most of the companies are rather small, but they often work with important projects, from Versailles, to Disneyland Paris, or for renowned architects in France and foreign countries.
We are aiming to gather thatchers from the whole country around important goals such as promoting the technical recommendations made by our experts, teaching the new generation of thatchers, including in Africa thanks to the participation of dedicated professionals, and animating our community through special events.
We are currently working with our collaborators from national parks, universities and renowned sustainable building associations to evaluate the properties of the reeds. The need for identifiable resources is indeed getting bigger; and thatchers, as well as their customers and the insurances that are covering the properties, need a frame of references that everyone can rely on. This is why the ANCC is actively working on this component.
Because we are really sensitive to climate change, we are aware of the cost and weight of the carbon emission from the reed production from abroad. We, therefore, believe in the potential of our territory, and we work closely with our harvesters in order to determine how we can produce more local reeds within the next few years.
Finally, we are also working on adding a “thatching” speciality to the Roofing certificate, in order to enhance the skills of new learners.
ANCC recently opened a Facebook page that everyone is invited to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/809260630447106/
Our Website (in French) https://chaumiers.com