Palm Thatch and Screening

I am looking for CHEEEEEP palm thatching. Anyone got any leads? Or if anyone has brilliant alternative ideas, I'm all ears.

We have a patio overhang (roughly 6' x 12')in our backyard that we want to turn into a temporary tiki hut.

Well real palm thatching isn't cheap. So the next best thing would be reed fencing at Home Depot. It's about $19 for a 6' by 12' roll. (Or just find some palm trees and whack off the frawns, take all your clothes off, get a real good tan, mix up a gallon of mai tais, and start weaving palm frawns like a native!)

We've got some links to thatching suppliers and other construction materials in our "Home Tiki Bar Depot" category over at http://www.konakai.com, but I'm not sure if they meet your price point....

My brother recently faked a bunch of thatching using cheapy "grass skirts" from his neighborhood party supply store, which can be found in abundance online or probably not too far from where you live...

On 2002-07-03 13:16, kongtiki wrote:
...or probably not too far from where you live...

Unless, of course, you live on "an uncharted deserted island near Hawaii."

Aloha,
I was wondering how this thatching stuff holds up in the cold East Coast weather, I'm talking snow and stuff.

I'm thinking about doing a hut/ bar in my backyard one day. Would I need to protect or cover up the thatched roof? Winterize it, as us Yankees say. Or is this stuff sooo durable it can outlast everything?

Thanks for any insight!

[ Edited by: tikimug on 2002-07-04 10:03 ]