In article ws.net,
Doctor Drivel wrote:

"Nige" wrote in message
...

Unfortunately, any cost/efficiency analysis I could carry out would
inevitably be compromised by the rather er... 'unusual' house in which
I live - a thatched former dairy, listed (to prevent the replacement of
the ill-fitting steel window frames), laid out in a long L-shaped row
of rooms, with wind (I kid you not) gusting through the loft areas
because is isn't the practice in this area to put felt (or any other
kind of membrane) between the roof timbers and the thatch.

Can't you make it airtight under the rafters? Wind running through will
cool the house big time.



All through the thatch willow stakes (at least I think they're willow)
are used to fasten the reed together. Unfortunately these poke through
the bottom of the thatch (often by several inches), making it
impossible to fasten any kind of sheet material under the rafters.

I did consider cutting them all off (apart from anything else, they're
a bugger if they stick in your head) - but if any repairs are done to
the thatch (or new thatch is added), more stakes will have to be used
and this would be difficult if the roof has been sheeted. Apparently,
this is one of the reasons why felt isn't used.

That said, I have insulated and floor boarded the lofts to try and keep
the air above the ceilings as static as possible.

NL