Roofing in Estonia

Estonia's most distinctive traditional roof belongs to the rehielamu, the barn-dwelling that combined a threshing barn and a farmhouse under one roof. These long, chimneyless log buildings carried a massive thatched roof of reed or rye straw that could make up two thirds of the building's height. Few remain in use, and examples are preserved at the Estonian Open Air Museum. Modern Estonian buildings use the industrial coverings common across the Baltic and Nordic region.

Climate and hazards

Estonia has a cool, humid climate with long winters, snow cover and frequent freeze-thaw cycles, and a windy Baltic coastline with many islands. Snow load and moisture are the main concerns for roofs; fire was the historic danger for thatched, chimneyless farmhouses.

Roofing history

Estonian vernacular building grew from an agrarian tradition that scholars trace back about 4,000 years. Its most characteristic product, the barn-dwelling, placed the threshing barn and the family's living space under a single roof. By the 19th century, the typical farmhouse was a long, chimneyless log building with a high thatched roof.

The renewal of traditional roof ridges at the open-air museum is the subject of conservation research, such as a study of the ridge of the Ritsu barn-dwelling.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

• Rehielamu (barn-dwelling): log walls about one third of the building's height under a thatched roof making up the other two thirds.
• Thatch materials: reed or rye straw.
• Hip roofs: old farm buildings typically had large hipped roofs, often at least twice as high as the visible wall, with eaves projecting well beyond the walls to shed rain and snow. A pitch of 45° or steeper was considered best for reed.
• Straw as fodder: in inland regions, roof straw could be recycled as animal feed when fodder ran short in long winters.

Roofing today

In 2018 Estonia's National Heritage Board began offering support for restoring historic farm architecture.

Codes, standards and regulation

As an EU member, Estonia applies European product standards and the Eurocodes, including Eurocode 1, Part 1-3 for snow loads.

Notable roofs

• Estonian Open Air Museum, with relocated barn-dwellings such as the Ritsu farmhouse.

Local roofing terms

• rehielamu - barn-dwelling farmhouse
• rehemaja - threshing-barn house

Sources and gaps

Current Estonian roofing statistics, codes and information on manufacturers: published information is limited.