Post by willi1 on Jul 23, 2022 10:11:29 GMT
The roofs covered with seaweed (Zostera) can only be found on the Danish island of Læsø.
The background to the meter-thick seaweed roofs is that long ago, the island of Læsø had no straw or timber. On the other hand, on the beach one could find seaweed and driftwood for roofs and half-timbering, which was then used for the houses.
Installing the seaweed roofs required many workers, both men and women. Women in particular were involved in the seaweed process, tying up the seaweed by hand and also covering the roofs as the men were at sea most of the time.
Unfortunately, in the 1930s there was a disease in the seagrass that almost completely wiped it out of the Kattegat, leaving only 19 houses with such a roof, some more than 300 years old.
The background to the meter-thick seaweed roofs is that long ago, the island of Læsø had no straw or timber. On the other hand, on the beach one could find seaweed and driftwood for roofs and half-timbering, which was then used for the houses.
Installing the seaweed roofs required many workers, both men and women. Women in particular were involved in the seaweed process, tying up the seaweed by hand and also covering the roofs as the men were at sea most of the time.
Unfortunately, in the 1930s there was a disease in the seagrass that almost completely wiped it out of the Kattegat, leaving only 19 houses with such a roof, some more than 300 years old.
After about a year, seagrass roofs form a silvery, water-repellent patina. They are odorless and insulate heat and sound; and because of their high salt content, they do not rot or burn, unlike thatch or straw.