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Roofing our Cafe

Originally the cafe roof was thatched with palm fronds. The picture shows the fronds being tied onto the bamboo framework of the roof The Hân-Đuyên Cafe in Tĩnh Gia (our cafe) was built in front of the house in 2009/2010. Then the cheapest and best looking way to roof it was using palm fronds as a thatch. This page shows a little of the original thatching, and then more recent shots of the thatch being removed and replaced with tiles. Although it had done a good job, by 2017 the original roof had ceased to be proof against the rain. A structure of reinforced concrete posts had a bamboo framework built onto it, to which the palm fronds were tied. This same framework was then used for the tiles 8 years later. The cafe building as it emerged from the building site in front of the house The cafe roof is made of bamboo beams. Split bamboo is then used to make the joining laths Work on the cafe roof showing the fields beyond as they were 8 years ago; now all is building Fronds being pushed up onto the roof with a bamboo pole; and a cheesy grin The fronds are tied onto the bamboo framework Palm fronds waiting use, the green nearly gone from them Two of the family's grandfathers cutting ties from pieces of bamboo... ...one of the resulting bunches of ties The cafe with its newly thatched roof in the Spring of 2010 - demonstrating its worth by keeping out 100% of the torrential rains from which Vietnam suffers Seven years on - the thatch comes off... ...and the bamboo frame is uncovered The bamboo laths are checked and minor repairs carried out Below the cafe in the mess that has been created The old guttering here left hanging half removed from the roof A scrap merchant comes past and gives cash for the metal; which he is weighing The old palm fronds are immediately burnt at the side of the cafe Removing accumulated dirt from the roof beams The high pressure hose is then turned on the rest of the cafe The tile work uses the same bamboo laths as the thatch Five men working in good weather... ...and the new roof is in place within two days... ...although this did include working after dark Workers in Vietnam are 'wined and dined' - rather 'Vodkaed and Riced' Just one section of the roof to finish after lunch and the cafe is cleared up The thatched roof The tiled roof The next page goes to some buildings at the other end of the social spectrum in Vietnam - the Citadel in Huế. This was built by the Vietnamese emperors modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Connections...

The last page was about the streets of Hội An A page on very different buildings with very different roofs in Iran Go to a page on the Faroe Islands with their weather proof roofs and buildings Or go to the page which was added one year ago.

Saturday 3rd February 2018