Synthetic Thatch

ONETHATCH synthetic thatch, also called artificial thatch, is made from UV-stabilised high-density polyethylene (HDPE). PALM panels are moulded from casts of real palm leaves, and REED and STRAW recreate the strands of natural reed and straw thatch. The material is PVC-free and 100% recyclable, and the colour is compounded through it rather than applied as a surface coat. The FR version adds a fire-retardant compound to the HDPE.

FR (fire-retardant) thatch incorporates a fire-retardant compound into the HDPE; FR palm thatch (Intertek), FR reed thatch and FR straw thatch are rated Class A to ASTM E108, and the test reports are available on request. NFR (standard) thatch uses standard HDPE without fire additives and carries no fire rating. Both versions share the same dimensions, colour range and 20-year limited warranty.

ONETHATCH PALM (NIPA) showed no loss of attachment at 260 km/h (160 mph) in ASTM D3161 testing at PRI Construction Materials Technologies, installed to ONETHATCH specifications with stainless roofing screws. That is a laboratory result, not a site design wind speed: wind performance depends on correct fixing method, batten spacing and frame design, not the panel alone. It also passed the Florida TAS 100 wind-driven rain test (PRI report 2756T0003.1). Installation guidelines are provided with every order.

Yes. ONETHATCH PALM panels are fixed with stainless roofing screws to the battens of a palapa, palapa umbrella or tiki hut frame, and their flexible moulded binder strip follows round and pitched roof forms. All three ONETHATCH PALM styles (NIPA, FAN and RAINCAPE) need no solid deck or membrane when installed to specification. For a commercial tiki bar that needs fire performance, choose the ONETHATCH PALM FR version, rated Class A to ASTM E108. See our NIPA installation guide.

ONETHATCH PALM also brings its island character to beach bars, thatch cabanas by the pool, garden pavilions and gazebos, glamping huts and resort bungalows, while ONETHATCH REED gives a synthetic thatch lapa its classic African silhouette.

Yes, no thatching skills are needed. ONETHATCH PALM panels screw straight onto your battens and REED and STRAW panels fix over a solid sub-deck, all with stainless roofing screws, so a handy homeowner with a drill, a saw and a helper can give a palapa or tiki hut its finished tropical roof. Matching ridge and hip pieces complete the look, installation guidelines come with every order, and for larger projects our engineer calculates the quantities from your roof drawing. See our NIPA installation guide.

ONETHATCH PALM and REED need a roof pitch of at least 18° (about 4:12). Lay PALM courses at 220 mm (9 in) spacing; REED fixes over a solid sub-deck. For the STRAW styles, send us your roof drawing and we will confirm the build-up with the installation guidelines.

Not for ONETHATCH PALM. Installed to specification, the NIPA, FAN and RAINCAPE styles need no solid deck or membrane, so they go straight onto an open batten frame, keeping palapas, tiki huts and beach bars light, airy and authentic from below. PALM (NIPA) has also passed the Florida TAS 100 wind-driven rain test (PRI report 2756T0003.1). ONETHATCH REED and the STRAW styles (BALI, CARIBBEAN and TAHITIAN) are installed over a solid sub-deck. Where the room below must stay completely dry, ask us for the installation guidelines for your roof build-up.

Very little: an occasional rinse to wash away dust and leaves. ONETHATCH synthetic thatch is UV-stabilised HDPE that does not rot or soak up rain, and PALM (NIPA) and REED are mold-resistant in ASTM G21 testing (Intertek). There is no re-thatching, no pest treatment and no fire-retardant re-spraying, because the FR version has its fire retardant built into the material. Natural thatch needs re-thatching every few years. With ONETHATCH, you spend your time enjoying the roof, not maintaining it.

Yes, we are the manufacturer. ONETHATCH® is made by Xiamen Jinyang Industrial Co., Ltd. in our own ISO 9001 certified factory in Xiamen, China, where we have crafted synthetic thatch since 1996. As a factory-direct synthetic thatch supplier, we ship to more than 80 countries. Samples are free, so you can see and feel the texture before you order, and ONETHATCH PALM (NIPA) is also held in stock. For container and wholesale orders, visit our commercial wholesale inquiry page.

No. ONETHATCH makes thatch panels rather than a thatch roll. Each panel is fixed course by course with stainless roofing screws, which gives the roof an even, layered depth, and, installed to specification, ONETHATCH PALM goes straight onto open battens with no solid deck behind it. If you have been comparing an artificial palm thatch roll or a tiki thatch roll, ask for free sample panels and see the difference for yourself.

ONETHATCH panels are manufactured from UV-stabilised HDPE using a colourant that is integrated into the material, not applied as a surface coat. The thatch passed 5,000 hours of ASTM G155 accelerated weathering at Micom Laboratories, Canada, with no significant colour change, and every style carries a 20-year limited warranty against UV degradation.

ONETHATCH synthetic thatch is made for long-term outdoor use. Every style, FR and NFR, carries a 20-year limited warranty, and ONETHATCH thatch passed 5,000 hours of ASTM G155 accelerated weathering (Micom Laboratories, report MI-25-17428-1) with no significant colour change. Actual service life depends on climate, exposure and installation. Natural thatch roofing in tropical climates, by contrast, needs re-thatching every few years, plus regular fire-retardant and pest treatment.

Yes. HDPE is highly resistant to pool chlorine and salt air, and it does not rot or absorb moisture, so it is suitable for pool structures, overwater villas, and beachfront installations where natural organic materials deteriorate rapidly.

MOQ varies by product and style. Contact the ONETHATCH team with your project area (m²) and chosen style to receive a specific MOQ and pricing indication. Container-load pricing is available for large projects.

Yes. ONETHATCH manufactures matching ridge cap panels and hip finishing panels to complete a full roof profile. Specify your ridge detail requirements at the time of enquiry so the correct finishing components are included in your quote.

Synthetic thatch is a roof covering made to look like natural palm, reed or straw thatch, in UV-stabilised HDPE instead of dried leaves or grass. Whether you call it artificial thatch, simulated thatch roof panels or a fake thatch roof, ONETHATCH comes in three families: PALM (NIPA, FAN and RAINCAPE), moulded from real palm leaves; REED, assembled from synthetic reed strands; and STRAW, with the look of an artificial thatch grass roof. What is tiki thatch? Simply the name many bar builders give the palm style that tops a tiki bar. Each panel screws down like a shingle and layers into a full, natural-looking roof.

For many commercial roofs, yes. Natural thatch is beautiful, but in tropical climates it typically needs re-thatching every few years, and it can rot, harbour insects and burn. Many resorts that replace natural thatch with synthetic do so to end that cycle: ONETHATCH holds its look outdoors, passed 5,000 hours of ASTM G155 accelerated weathering with no significant colour change, carries a 20-year limited warranty and comes in an FR version rated Class A to ASTM E108. Natural thatch still has its place where authenticity outweighs upkeep, such as a heritage restoration.

Three things: the plastic, the UV protection and the evidence. ONETHATCH is moulded in virgin HDPE with no mineral filler, so it stays supple instead of turning brittle; its UV-stabiliser system was developed with BASF’s light-stabiliser laboratory in Shanghai; and its colour is compounded right through. Ask any supplier for an independent weathering report: ours passed 5,000 hours of ASTM G155 accelerated weathering with no significant colour change, and every style carries a 20-year limited warranty.

None in kind: “engineered thatch” is a name some makers give their synthetic thatch. What separates one roof from another is the material and the test data behind it, so ask for the polymer, the fire classification, the wind and weathering reports and the warranty. ONETHATCH states each one with its report number and sends the reports on request: HDPE; ASTM E108 Class A for the FR version; ASTM D3161 and Florida TAS 100 for PALM (NIPA); 5,000 hours of ASTM G155; and a 20-year limited warranty.

That depends on your local building code and your insurer, and many ask for a rated roof covering on restaurants, hotels and public buildings. An NFR panel carries no fire rating, so for commercial work specify the FR version: an artificial thatch roof fire rated Class A to ASTM E108 is what many codes and insurers ask for. Tell us the project location and we will send the test report for your permit.

No, and a rating is only as good as the test behind it. ONETHATCH PALM (NIPA) passed ASTM D3161 at 160 mph (260 km/h) with no loss of attachment, and the Florida TAS 100 wind-driven rain test, both laboratory results with the panels screwed down to our specification. If you are looking for hurricane rated synthetic thatch, ask for those reports. For cyclone resilience on an exposed coast, the frame, battens and fixings must also be designed for local wind loads by your engineer.

It depends on the style and on what is below. Installed to specification, ONETHATCH PALM needs no solid deck or membrane, and PALM (NIPA) passed the Florida TAS 100 wind-driven rain test. REED and STRAW are fixed to a solid sub-deck. Where the room below must stay dry, such as a restaurant or villa interior, ask us for the installation guidelines for a fully dry roof build-up.

Fire rated thatch has been tested and classified to a recognised standard; “fire resistant” on its own is only a description unless a test standard and class are named. Our fire retardant synthetic thatch, the FR version, is class A fire rated thatch, tested by Intertek to ASTM E108, the US fire test for roof coverings, which includes spread-of-flame, burning-brand and intermittent-flame tests. When you compare suppliers, ask for synthetic thatch fire rated to ASTM E108 Class A, with the report. The standard NFR version carries no fire rating.

Yes, if the frame is sound. Strip the old thatch and check the battens. For ONETHATCH STRAW (BALI), the classic alang-alang look, add a solid sub-deck and send us photos and roof dimensions so we can confirm the pitch and build-up; for PALM, the pitch must be at least 18°. Then screw on the new panels course by course. A local builder can do it with basic tools, and we work out the panels you need from the same photos and dimensions.

A thatch roof feels shadier and calmer than bare metal: its deep, layered strands shade the space beneath and do not drum in the rain, while bare metal sheeting absorbs the sun and radiates heat below. ONETHATCH keeps that character in HDPE, and where a room needs more insulation, add it in the roof build-up beneath the panels.

Send us your roof drawing or dimensions and we will work out the exact quantity. As a guide, ONETHATCH PALM uses about 4.9 panels per m² at 220 mm course spacing; the take-off then adds the ridge, hip and eave pieces and about 10% for cutting.