Supplies of straw for thatched roofs are low due to three poor harvests, says a thatcher A thatcher with a three-year waiting list for his services said a shortage of straw had caused problems for ...

South African John Roston Smith specializes in thatched roofs, which are gaining popularity in other parts of the world. WSJ's Patrick McGroarty visits with him at several work sites.

Picturesque thatched roofs were once a common part of the cultural landscape of Slovakia. Just as the craftsmen and people who made and maintained them have disappeared, so too have the houses ...

SHIRAKAWA, Gifu Prefecture--Villagers in this renowned UNESCO World Heritage site came together to re-thatch the roof of a multitiered house here for the first time in five years on May 13.