Hawaii|Mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi

Tiki Thatch

How to Use Thatch Panels in your Backyard

Homeowners will often say that they run out of ideas when it comes to finding new design moves that will help them to revamp their out-of-doors entertaining and living areas. After readjusting the decorative pieces or changing the color scheme of the outdoor furniture, they often run out of new inspirations for exterior design. One concept that is becoming increasingly popular this season is the use of thatch paneling as part of your exterior design. In prior generations, thatch was used to provide cover on warm days, but with today’s design aesthetic, tiki thatch is used more as a decorative element outside and inside the home. This textile helps to generate a tropical feeling to your outdoor living area or business space that you share with your clientele.

You have most likely seen this umbrella-like figure on the porticos of local Mexican eateries around town or at tropical parties hosted at your friend’s house. However, incorporating thatch panels into your own outdoor area is basic and adds to the feel in your outdoor area. Once you bring the palapa into your alfresco living quarters you’ll want to spend all of your free time outside in the shade.

Here are a few ways that thatching will improve the look of your backyard:

1.    With the right thoughtful care, thatch panels can last for many years. In dry environs with minor rainfall, thatch can have a lifetime of three to five years. If you live in a place with more rainfall, you should buy a large tarp to cover and safeguard the thatch for longer usage for the future. If the product is correctly secured, it can endure winds up to 50 to 60 miles per hour, making it a great idea for those who live in windy climates.

2.    There are endless applications for thatch panels. You’d be shocked, but thatch has many uses that you may be oblivious of. These panels can be used to ornament tables, fences, tiki bars and barbecues. You’ll create a tropical feel when you add thatch to your outdoor party, backyard, garden, or business with very little effort. You can also adjust the paneling by having it fitted to your own special item with unique dimensions.

3.    Thatch requires very little maintenance. Make sure you soak off the thatch panels several times every year to protect it from any dirt or buildup that may accumulate. When thatch is rained on for the first time, it can sometimes create a non toxic run off. Think of ways to guard the thatch from mold and filth, especially in areas with a colder and rainier climate.

4.    Thatch panels come in a universal dimension to meet your size needs. The standard size of a palapa will stand at 8 feet and 6 inches at its tallest point. The outer rim is just about 7 feet tall and there is 6 inches of overhang, which gives a clearance of 6 feet 6 inches. Take into account these dimensions before you proceed with the purchase so you have enough square footage to hold the palapa in your backyard.

For great ideas to use bamboo tiki thatch panels with bamboo, visit http://www.bambooandtikis.com

About the Author

Ryan Frank is a 23 year writer and blogger living in San Diego, CA

I have a tiki hut. The roof is thatched with palm fronds. It has some kind of bug. I see dust & silky webbing?

It would be Sod Webworms?

Description: There are over 20 species of caterpillars called sod webworms (Crambus spp.) that can be highly destructive pests of residential lawns and turfgrass across North America. They live in the thatch, just above the soil, where they spin a light webbing and feed on the undersides of leaves. Damage first appears as small, ragged brown spots in the turf. As feeding continues these areas become larger and may join other large dead patches of grass. Damage occurs on most turfgrasses including bluegrass, bentgrass, tall and fine-leafed fescues and buffalo grass and is most prevalent in areas that receive plenty of direct sunlight or south-facing slopes. Heavily shaded areas are seldom attacked.

The sod webworm (1 inch long) is the larval or caterpillar stage of a small white-brown moth (1/2 to 3/4 inches long) with pale yellow or brown markings on their wings. The adult moths have a habit of folding their wings up closely to their bodies when at rest, earning the group the name "close-winged moths." If disturbed, the moths fly in a zig zag pattern for short distances before settling again. Adults do not feed on lawns.

Life Cycle: Sod webworms overwinter as young larvae in silk-lined tunnels near the soil surface or in the thatch. They resume feeding as temperatures warm in April or early May and pass through several instars until their development is complete. In early June, webworms pupate in loosely woven cocoons made of silk and bits of dirt. Approximately 10-14 days later adult moths emerge and begin mating. Mated females fly just above the lawn surface and randomly scatter their eggs into the grass. Each female may lay several hundred eggs which hatch into a new generation of larvae within a week. Young larvae spin webs and feed until mid-summer. There are two to three generations per year in most areas.

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Tags: bamboo, decor, outdoors, thatch, tiki, tiki thatch, tiki thatch importer, tiki thatch portland, tiki thatch rolls, tiki thatch roof

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 6:28 am and is filed under Hawaii. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.