Mountain Village Part 1: Thatch and Corrugated Roofs
Mountain Village · Part 1 of 2
A kitchen scouring pad makes convincing thatch. Corrugated craft card takes care of the tin roof and the repairs. Here’s how I use both on our Mountain Village buildings.
Thatch and corrugated tin turn up in all sorts of places and periods, often on the same roof. A few simple materials and some patchy paintwork give them the texture and age they need.
Start with a scouring pad
I’ve found that the easiest route to a good finish is often the one of least resistance. For thatch, the humble scouring pad does the job. For corrugated roofing, use simple craft card.
Cut the material to fit and glue it onto the roof. I use superglue, so it’s fixed quickly without a long wait.
Give the roof a base colour
Once the glue has dried, choose a base colour to suit the age of the thatch. Dark earth works for newer thatch; black or dark brown gives a base for a roof that’s a few years old. Older thatch often turns silver-grey, so a dark to mid-grey base works well.
Follow the spray can’s instructions for distance and application. Make sure the paint reaches into the texture. Spray in a well-ventilated place and leave it there to dry.
Make the corrugated repairs look used
Corrugated craft card is a “most excellent” raw material for roofs and walls. The flat backing can be peeled away, which lets you overlap the sheets without a thick edge.
Let the repair panels overlap the thatch. Bend, crease and dent them a little with a fingernail or the tip of a brush handle. Think about where the nails and supporting frame would hold the sheet, and where it could sag or bend. Spray the whole roof once the panels are in place.
Dry-brush the thatch
Not every thatched roof should look the same. Age and weather change the colour, and a roof in a wooded area may pick up moss.
I use dark earth, then ochre or beige, brushing lightly so the paint doesn’t fill the texture. Keep it patchy and blend the colours as you go. A light-grey dry-brush over the top ties the earlier coats together and gives the thatch an aged, silvery look.
Paint the tin, then add rust
I use a grey base coat for the tin sheets to suggest galvanised metal. On this build I wanted some panels to look scavenged, so I roughly painted a few green.
I use three Rail Match rust colours, working from Dark Rust through Light Rust to Brake Dust. Have a look at real rusty corrugated sheets first. The rust is patchy, often catching the ridges and running into the troughs towards the bottom.
For stronger rust patches I use Dirty Down Rust Effect or a sepia wash.
A little dusting to finish
Once the rust and thatch are dry, I lightly dry-brush a bone colour over them to blend the finish. Then I give the building a matt coat.
The sealer may change the Dirty Down Rust Effect. If it does, reapply a little and feather it in. I also add some rust weathering powder after matt sealing.
Equipment and materials used
These are the paints and materials I used for this build.
Roofing and base coats
- Kitchen scouring pads
- Corrugated craft card
- Superglue
- Matt-black car primer
- Humbrol Acrylic Spray: Sea Grey 27
Acrylics and wash
- Revell matt Olive Brown (361-86)
- Revell matt Beige (361-89)
- Citadel Shade: Seraphim Sepia
Rust and weathering
- Rail Match Dark Rust (2405)
- Rail Match Light Rust (2404)
- Rail Match Brake Dust (2416)
- Dirty Down Rust Effect
- Humbrol Rust Weathering Powder (AV0008 / 12605)
Keep a copy on your workbench.
Get the free Mountain Village Part 1 guide.
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