Roofing in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor and the Oecusse exclave. Its traditional architecture is defined by tall thatched clan houses raised on posts, while most homes today have metal-sheet, tile or concrete roofs.

Climate and hazards

The country has a tropical climate with a pronounced wet season, mountainous terrain and coastal lowlands. Roofs must shed intense seasonal rain, cope with heat, and in exposed areas resist strong winds. Steep pitches on traditional houses reflect these conditions.

Roofing history

Little archaeological evidence for early roof construction has been published. Documentary and ethnographic sources describe a long tradition of clan origin houses with high thatched roofs, built of local hardwood, bamboo and palm materials.

During the Indonesian occupation (1975-1999) many sacred clan houses were destroyed. Since independence in 2002 there has been a sustained "return to custom", including phased rebuilding of these houses as rural incomes have improved. Anthropological work on the Fataluku of the far east of the island describes a delayed re-emergence of their origin houses and recent innovations within traditional construction.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

The uma lulik (Tetum: uma, house; lulik, sacred) is the clan's sacred house, where heirlooms (sasan lulik) are kept. Typical features recorded in recent descriptions:

• a raised platform, with the shaded space beneath used for gatherings;
• a frame of hardwood and bamboo, with planks, tied with rope made from native palms rather than fixed with nails;
• a high-pitched roof covered in natural thatch or coconut leaves.

In Lautem municipality, the Fuiloro community builds square houses up to about 9 m (30 ft) high.

Roofing today

The 2015 Population and Housing Census grouped roofs into "modern" (concrete, corrugated iron, tiles and asbestos) and "traditional" (palm leaves, thatch, grass). Nationally, 81.1% of houses had modern roofs in 2015, up from 68% in 2010. Modern roofs covered 96.5% of urban and 75.6% of rural houses; about one in four rural houses (24.4%) still had a traditional roof. Corrugated metal sheet is the most visible modern roofing in towns and villages.

Notable roofs

Rebuilt uma lulik in rural districts, including the tall houses of the Lautem area, are the country's best-known traditional roofs.

Local roofing terms

• uma lulik - sacred (origin) house
• sasan lulik - sacred heirlooms kept in the house

Sources and gaps

Detailed breakdowns of roofing by individual material, descriptions of each regional house type, and codes and industry information: published information is limited.