Blog: Thatch rooves create their own challenges

Living under thatch has its own challenges with fear of fire the biggest threat followed by the cost of regular maintenance and then a complete re-roof sometime in the future. Certainly these are major challenges but there is also a far smaller but equally concerning threat, that of thatch dust.

Many will not even notice the dust but for those with sensitive sinus will suffer noticeably particularly after very windy days or nights which St Francis has its fair share of. Swollen eyes and a stuffy nose are simply part of life under thatch as is having to sweep floors daily, twice or thrice a day during gale force winds.

But there is another threat and one we tend not to anticipate and that is the damage to electronic equipment particularly desktop computers and a lesser extent, laptops. Phones and tablets are spared in that they are sealed units but the PC is certainly not spared.

The processor within the PC’s generates heat, intense heat in some of the high end machines that some even require water cooling systems, so much heat they generate. To cool the processor the PC case is fitted with two or three cooling fans that draw in air to cool the machine.  And herein lies the threat for a period of months this thatch dust will build up on the inner components and one day, as happened with us on Friday when we were unable to publish St Francis Today, your computer will simply not work.

Fortunately in our case no damage was done and a good clean was all it needed but we should have anticipated it and taken it in for a service a lot sooner. Thankfully Jethro Cadman of Compuink set to the task almost immediately and we had a nice clean operating machine, almost a good as news, in less than a day.

Laptops are not as likely to suffer as badly from the dust but a good habit is to close the lid when not using the machine to stop dust settling in the keyboard. Another suggestion for your PC, also a necessity in St Francis is some form of moisture absorber. We use the interior dehumidifier moisture absorber available from SPAR, one placed inside the case and the other at the rear near the intake fans. Other absorbers such as those found in medicine containers can also be used but whatever type you use, change them regularly as they absorb an amazing amount of water in a relatively short period of time. Also a good idea to have one on your desk if you use a laptop, we had to throw out a perfectly good laptop with a corroded motherboard recently.

Jethro can be called on 081 569 6445  to make an appointmet to service your PC (desktop).