Bunches of pili grass were tied to (‘aho) Purlins
(Horizontal Thatching Sticks)

The Walls & Roof were thatched in a manner
similar to those in New Zealand.

They were Different From Central & W. Polynesia.

Pili Grass (Heteropogon contours) was the preferred thatch for Hawaiians.


Pili Grass	Pili Flowering Heads
Pili Grass has adaptations which make it waterproof and strong. It has a thick, waxy Cuticle which makes it resist wetting. It also has Fibers and a Fibrovascular Bundle which makes it strong.
	*Cross Sections of Pili* Grass showing a large Fibrovascular Bundle, Fibers and thick Cuticle**

It had a Red Color & Pleasant Odor

Process for thatching with pili Grass

Two Men worked together (One Inside & Outside).,

First an inner layer was applied with the root ends DOWN.

This makes the inner wall fine and attractive!

Bare Endwall of a Gabel House	Partially Thatched Endwall
*Inside view of Sheared Pili* Bundles**	Pili Bundles lashed to Purlins

Next, the inner wall is overlaid by thicker bundles with the Roots UP & flowers DOWN.

This helps water run down the sides of the hale!

Braids of'uki’uki grass were commonly used to bind thatch bundles to Purlins!

The Silky Fibers from Banana Leaves may have been used.


*Note the many parallel veins in this magnified view of the leaf. These Fibrovascular bundles become the twine that was used to attach the pili.*

Bundle Dimensions were 6" – 4" thick.

Museum pili was 30"to 60" Long

Men started at the base of the Front Wall.

Cut tips were pushed into the Platform.

They proceed Acropetally!
(Start at Bottom & proceed towards the Top)

This makes Overlapping Layers like roof Shingles on contemporary houses.

This also allows water to run off the surface without accumulating.

Bundles were Overlapped & Braided at

Termination Points - Doorways - Ends of the Second Ridgepole

Hala (Pandanus sp.) Thatch

This was Associated with Island of Hawai’i

Its use as an outer thatch was probably associatde
with wet settlements.

It was mainly used for Interior Finishing.

This resembled interiors in Polynesia.

Hala Leaves were dried over fire, flattened,
soaked in water & the thorns were removed.

ko (Sugarcane) was sometimes used like Pandanus (hala).

ki (Cordyline fruticosa) Thatch

Leaves were soaked in water to soften them.

They were assembled into bundles (pe’a),

tied with ki leaf cord & braided.

Magnified view of a ki leaf. Note the many parallel "fibrovascular bundles" which provide strength. The leaf is covered by a waxy cuticle which keeps water outside.