To alang or not to alang?

[O]

Hi every one!
I'm currently in the early design stage for my future Bali dream pad and I find myself in need of some expert advice r.e roofing material. I'm quite fond of Alang Alang, not only is it esthetically very pleasing but it has great insulating property, both sound -pelting rain- and temperature wise. However, I've got some contradictory feed back on its longevity, both from local architects and from users. Some say it will last between 7 and 10 years, others say longer , other say less than 3 years... Apparently the recent property boom has lead to some shortage and the new stuff that is used is reportedly not as sturdy as it used to be, it's growing too fast and/or harvested too early, kind of like factory chicken if you like.
So if some of you have some advice about the average longevity of the recent alang alang -kind of hard to know how long the new stuff will last though...- or maybe some idea as where to source the good stuff from I'd appreciate the feed back!
Tx
O

 

[FreoGirl]

The length of time it lasts depends on how it's laid and how thick it is - if you lay it thick with large overlaps it will last 15 years, if you lay it thin so it doesn't overlap much it will last 3-5 years. I don't know about the comments concerning quick growing grass, but I would imagine if they tried to skimp by putting less grass in the sheets then it would be thiner and therefore not last as long.

As to choice, I think it depends on the style of house you are building - if it an indoor/outdoor sort then it is ideal. I lived in a house with an alang alang roof and I loved it - but you need to be prepared to have geckos, spiders, ants and what-not inside your home. Of course it's the tropics, so all these things will come inside no matter what roof you have, but a tiled, slate or tin roof is easier to seal. You also might get the odd musang family making a home in your roof.

 

[Roy]

The longevity of alang alang depends on three factors. The first factor is the quality of the alang alang itself, the second is the expertise of the installer, and the third is where the building with the alang alang is to be located.

Presently, and due to a near complete exhaustion of highest quality alang alang, (grass) in Bali, the best alang alang installers in Bali are now using imported grass from Lombok.

The expertise and reputation of the installer is also crucial for longevity. I have seen many recent projects where the tightness of the thatching method is way, way, too wide, (using less pieces) and they (the roofs), will not last. Ideally, the tie bar of each piece of alang alang should be tied as close as possible to the adjoining bar. I have seen gaps in those bars as much as three inches, resulting in a roof which is much too thin, and will not last more than maybe five, or a few more years.

The third factor is the simple fact that the closer to the ocean this roofing style is employed, the fewer years it will last. Salt erodes alang alang.

A well installed, high quality alang alang roof located at least a few kilometers from a beach environment should last a minimum 15 years, and 20 years is not unheard of.

My father in law is very well known as one of the top alang alang artists in all of Bali, and he is often called on for projects elsewhere in the world. If you want to consult with my father in law, you can send me a PM.

 

[Roy]

As a quick follow up, the photo below will clearly show you exactly how a first rate alang alang roof should look. It should be thick, which is the result of each individual piece being very tightly bound, and it should be well trimmed as well.

This is my father in law’s work, and the fact that he is in such high demand has never surprised me. Of course, I am biased, but I challenge anyone to illustrate finer alang alang than this.

 

[Markit]

Please don't misunderstand my question but I've seen any number of these constructions and I am not quite clear on their purpose;

1) As a sunshade they are totally over the top, construction wise, and immobile, so when the sun moves you must scrunch around on the edges.
2) As a resting spot - I would imagine they are bloody uncomfortable - of all the pictures I've seen, never a one with anybody using the thing - you might just as well lay on the table?
3) As a piece of garden furniture - ok, but in many of the pictures the pool takes up half the garden and the alang the other half. Sorry Roy but yours features a wonderful view on 2 sides of a concrete wall...

Just as a further aside to the original post - here in the UK as the supply of reed has been used up the thatchers have taken to using wheat stalks which look almost the same, I'm told, but have very little of the waterproofing abilities of real reed. You only find this out after several years when the weather outside comes inside. :|

 

[tintin]

Hi Markit,

You write,

1) As a sunshade they are totally over the top, construction wise, and immobile, so when the sun moves you must scrunch around on the edges.

Bali's climate being kind of mild, the only reasons to take shelter under a bale are (1) the midday sun, and (2) the rain.

The bale shown in the picture above, a bale bengong, is pretty much typical dimension-wise of such structures. A simple back-of-the -envelop calculation shows that the platform will be TOTALLY in the shadow of the roof, from about 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, (+/- ~ 30 min, depending on the time of the year) i.e. when the sun rays are the hottest. The rest of the time, yes, the sun will shine on part of the platform, but in an actual environment, there will always be structures around to block the sun part of the time, outside this time interval.

And when it rains, being in a bale bengong relaxing is a divine experience not to be missed.

Try it, using a pillow to sit on as I do, you'll love it...

 

[Markit]

Thanks Tintin almost makes me hope that it will rain.

 

[Roy]

Indeed the concrete wall is not particularly nice to look at, but that will soon change as the crawling vines we’ve planted eventually cover the wall and the vine flowers fill in on the top. The view from inside the bale looking west or north is quite nice as the gardens also mature.

It’s new Markit, and as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but luckily everything grows rather fast here.

 

[Markit]

Your answer raises another question that I have - why do so many houses, and for that matter empty lots, have such a predominant wall around them? They obviously don't add much to security since to climb over wouldn't be a big problem.

Is this just one of those local customs?

Personally I've always preferred a free view of my surroundings if possible.
What with the beauty of the surroundings in Bali just seems a shame. :cry:

 

[Roy]

Most westerners would agree with you 100% and it is very possible to build that way if one prefers. Our new house isn’t just a house, rather it is a Balinese compound within our village, thus it is built in the conventional Balinese way...which requires a wall to define the compound. It also has the required temples, including ancestor temples and a holy room...all of which are rarely found in the typical “villas” built here by westerners.

The Balinese build compounds with walls for several reason, most importantly to define the alignment of the compound within Kaja and Kelod. Kaja is the part of the compound closest to the sacred mountain Gunung Agung, and Kaja is the part of the compound closest to the sea. This is all essential in maintaining the Balinese HinduDharma concept of proper orientation to maintain balance.

Another reason for walled compounds is to define the area in which the protection of ancestors will be evoked and to keep out evil spirits that could other wise invade and disrupt the harmony within the compound.

Within a Balinese village itself, even a westerner cannot build on a property without conforming to the strict requirements of village adat. That is why many westerners prefer to build outside the village residence area in sawahs or fields which were previously used for agriculture.

 

[DCC]

A couple of added comments from a builder's perspective:

Alang-alang oft gets the short shaft (HAHA) for a number of reasons dealing with lifespan, look, and living-with-it reality. In my experience, the product is least favored, by Indonesians in particular, because of cost of upkeep and it's association with being old-fashioned and primitive

I view it as premium roofing material because of it's exquisite beauty, Indonesia being one of the few places in the world where grass roofs are elevated to art level. So the cost of a quality installation, its upkeep, and eventual replacement is simply the cost of ownership. And although not boasting the long-life of the thatch roofs of Europe/England and South Africa, alang-alang costs but a fraction in comparison - we are so lucky! As for being old-fashioned and primitive; that's the point :wink: !

Regarding the bugs-geckos-creepy crawlies, I find it little different than the standard tile lined in bamboo. Fog regularly if you want (enviro sensitive please) to help reduce the number of insects - less on the menu! Its one shortfall is the bits and pieces it that do fall but last I checked there was a device for this that someone cleverly invented, it's called the broom (though I call mine Betty).

Other install tips - the steeper the pitch the longer the life and make sure the roof is able to dry out. So don't let trees crowd it or drape on it, it is not a good material for a deep in the rainforest install.

 

[Nige]

2) As a resting spot - I would imagine they are bloody uncomfortable - of all the pictures I've seen, never a one with anybody using the thing - you might just as well lay on the table?

You can fit them with mattresses, cushions, curtains, whatever it takes to make you comfortable.

 

[Markit]

IMHO in the tropics that last things you want are blankets, comforters, cushions, etc. apart from temperatures around the 30 degree mark, the humidity can turn everything into a wet rag immediately - including the people.

Personally I've always found it to be harder to keep dry than cool there. But then I've always been very cool :mrgreen:

Back to the alang alang in general and the reed decking in particular.

I would guess that the bigger problem with its longevity in Bali has to do with rot and not so much through the bird problem that we have here in the UK - they spend about £20,000 to artistically re-thatch an old cottage only to have the birds destroy it within a couple of years - even with the use of chicken wire to protect it. As Roy mentioned it needs to dry out occasionally but with it raining most days how is that possible? Personally, I love the look of it and believe that historically there must be a good reason why the Balinese chose to use that building material which would, perhaps, bear keeping in mind for the future??

 

[abemoon]

i too am in the prep stages of designing or should i say redesigning my proposed house like O who started with the question to Alang Alang or not. i have had 2 quotes from builders one for a tiled roof the other alang alang and the tiled roof quote has come in a fraction more i'm talking like $200AUD. which is nothing really in the big picture. my house is approx. 10m x 8m and is on the beach.
the problem i have also is what to choose. aesthetically i prefer the look of the alang alang and know it attracts insects and geckos and has a short life span but the tropical look is what i'm after and tiled roofs just remind me of where i've come from.
have heard there is a type of mosquito/fish netting that can be laid on top of the roof as a preventative measure, i know you cant stop all insects but anything is better than nothing.
this is my first posting and am a little nervous to start but life is a challenge and i'm in for a huge one with my project albeit just a small house but i'm a single female here so am looking for any help you can all advise me on.
whenever i log on to the site i spend hours on end reading the various posts and am stoked to have come across it.
also is it possible to build the compound wall up to 3 metres i had a quote for 1.8m height times 80 lineal metres as the site is only 4 are. the cost was approx. $5200AUD which was the going rate at the time (oct 07).
if you've made your decision O let me know as i'm about 6 wks late in replying.
cheers keryn

 

[O]

Thanks for everyone's input on this topic although some comments contradicts what I've learned before such as salt eroding alang alang. Salt is actually said to preserve alang alang as it does with wood (which makes drift wood an excellent material) and some people along the coast soak the alang alang first in salt water before drying it and installing it. The proximity to the sea might be an issue if the spray is constant and keeps the roof wet which will indeed promote rot. I'm still looking at quotations before making a decision and would therefore welcome your feedback, Keryn, since you already have a quote and my roof will be more or less the same size. You can PM me if you'd prefer. Regarding your 3m wall, it certainly is no problem technically -if that's what you're concerned about- but I would be more concerned by the aesthetic side of such a tall wall. While I don't know anything about your property and its surroundings, such enclosure will surely make your land -especially with a relatively small lot such as yours- look more like a fort both from the inside and the outside. I do understand we might have a different view of privacy but there are ways to achieve the same results without using walls. A dense bamboo fence for example is a very good substitute and certainly more pleasing to the eyes and the soul than a wall, without mentioning its ridiculous low cost. Best luck with your project.

 

[Jimbo]

I am suprised you are allowed to build a house at all on the beach as there are rules and regulations that any house has to be so far back from the beach. (25 or 100 metres depending) As for walls they will also have building regulations that you should enquire about before beginning construction. I am als suprised you want a wall almost 4 meters high. What on earth for? I am supposing privacy but if you want that kind of privacy why build at the beach?

 

[don]

Hi,
I have had 2 homes built in Bali both with alang alang roofs. The first near Mas-Ubud 5 years ago was repaired recently where it was thin at the corners, and only cost 2juta. The second was built in Pekutatan Jembrana 2 years ago and near the beach. I am satisfied that the right decision was made in both cases for all the positive reasons previously cited, however a new problem has arisen with the beach home. There isn't any sawah close by and the munias (those small birds frequently seen near the sawah) have been scavaging my roof for nesting material or decided to take up residence in it. I don't know what the longterm consequences will be, but my caretaker is busy each day removing nests, and munias have a year long nesting season.
Don

 

[mimpimanis]

Your answer raises another question that I have - why do so many houses, and for that matter empty lots, have such a predominant wall around them? They obviously don't add much to security since to climb over wouldn't be a big problem

I built our house, before the perimeter wall, thinking at least would could be living in it whilst the wall was being built. I soon discovered one of the reasons for the walls, waking up to people sitting on my terrace in the morning. Laying on the sofa, in very little at all watching a movie, looking up and seeing a crowd of faces at the window, watching the movie too! :shock:

Another good reason for me is keeping our dogs in, so they dont get hit by cars. We had a puppy hit before the wall was finished. Now we keep the inner gate closed at al times.

 

[Markit]

Don you might try what they do in England with reed roofing - simply cover the alang alang in chicken wire, it's invisible from farther than 2 meters and keeps the birds off it, or at least from taking it.

Mimi are the locals that curious? Or were your movies just soooo goood?

 

[tintin]

I was going to post my two-cents-worth regarding previous comments last evening, but I got distracted and then forgot to do so.

- In Bali, geckos and spiders must first move in a new house before the people, otherwise the house is nor habitable. I don't see why alang-alang should mean more of them little critters, but that's only my opinion.
- - Geckos take care of the insects.
- Alang-alang is cool compared to tiles. It's not exactly A/C, but it helps
- Geckos' "doo-doo" will occur with alang-alang as well as with tiles. I had a "roof" put up above the bed to protect it from the non-radioactive fall outs.
- A good alang-alang roof will last 15 -20 years (like everything else, you get what you pay for). Where will you be in 15 years?
- In my house in Nyuh Kuning, located in the middle of the rice fields, I did have problem with these small birds that don calls munias (thanks for the info, don) for several years, and somehow they went away. I have no idea why? The caretaker was pretty pissed at them, but I don't think he did anything about them, except shoot at them with a bb gun. The birds were actually nesting in the roof, not dismantling it.

I don't have a house in Bali any more, but if I had a new one, it would surely be one with an alang-alang roof, i.e. in areas where this type of roof makes sense. It's beautiful, practical, and…it's Bali.