After the Walls, Now Taking Care of the Roofing

Most of the houses in Bicak and Ngunut have rebuilt their walls using "gedeg". Although these homes are much simpler than the ones destroyed by the earthquake, the conditions are now much better than immediately after the disaster.

Roofing is now our main concern because the wet season begins around October. The impending monsoonal rains are a cause for concern for those still living under a tarpaulin roof. Although people are diligently collecting and cleaning any unbroken tiles they can salvage, many still have tarpaulin fastened over the roof-frame instead of the fine handmade clay tiles.

The traditional Javanese roof tiles are handmade from clay, which is then gently dried in a kiln. Over time, the tiles change from terracotta-red to a dark-slate colour. Tiles are made according to a standard pattern, which means that any cracked or broken tiles are easily replaced. Individually, these tiles are fragile pieces, but as a whole they make a durable roof shielding homes from the tropical sun and monsoonal rains; it would take a great disaster to break every single tile on a roof.

SGN has begun sourcing good quality second hand roof tiles. As expected, the market for quality building materials has gone up due to the increase in demand. The price for a pallet of 1000 tiles is around Rp500, 000.00 – Indonesian Rupiah (around $72.50 Australian Dollars), compared to Rp200, 000.00 ($29 AUD) for second-hand tiles.

The residents of Bicak and Ngunut have asked me to pass on their gratitude and thanks to you. They are very appreciative of all the help they have received. As you can see from the photos following this post, every little bit of assistance is making a material difference.

Regards
Sari