Product Overview
- BS 5534:2003 states the requirements for roofing battens, and includes information about the species, grades, treatment and required markings.
- Pressure treated with preservatives to enhance resistance to rot and insect attack
- Most organisations, for example National House Builders Council & Local Authority Building Control require fully-compliant battens.
- NHBC now require that timber used for battens should be indelibly marked to demonstrate compliance with BS 5534
- Although not a legal requirement, BS 5534 sets out the standard for battens. The best way to ensure battens are fit for purpose is to choose those marked as BS 5534-compliant.
Why are roof battens different Colours?
Manufacturers often add a coloured dye to their preservative treatment process to differentiate non-graded batten from BS5534 Batten. The colour itself does not matter, and is decided by the manufacturer at the time of treatment. There is a wide variety of colours including Red, Blue & Gold available, but this is not enough to show the battens meet BS 5534. Every BS5534 graded batten must be indelibly marked / stamped with the following:
- Timber Grading: BS 5534
- Size
- The manufacturers? / graders name
- The timber species
- A third-party certification scheme
What fixings do I need for BS5534 Roofing Batten?
British standards BS 5534 and BS 8000-6:1990 give the information you need for fixing and installation:
- Ensure battens are fixed to rafters at centres not more than 600mm apart
- Ensure battens span at least three trusses and are therefore more than 1.2m long
- Batten moisture content (after treatment) should not exceed 22%
- Use round shank nails, 10 gauge and usually 65mm long
- Use zinc coated nails where extreme weather (e.g. coastal conditions) might be experienced
- Use galvanised nails when fixing treated timber battens to avoid corrosion
- Nail through the middle of the batten into the middle of each rafter
- Cut joints square and butt joint at the centre of each rafter, providing maximum support and fixing
- Replace any battens that have split due to nailing
What size batten do I need?
BS5534 Roofing Batten is suitable for use with Slate, Fibre-Cement, Concrete & Clay Tiles in both single and double lap applications with upto a 600mm on center construction.
What is the life span of my BS5534 Graded Roofing Batten?
Our battens are supplied with an industrially applied treatment process designed to provide a 60-year design life under Use Class 2. The relevant Standard is BS 8417:2011 Preservation of Wood. Cut ends should be treated with brush-applied preservative, especially those in contact with mortar
Where appropriate, Nottage Timber Merchants may supply a different colour than specified here on our website. Where an alternative product is supplied, we will ensure the replacement is fully stamped and supplied as a graded BS5534 batten to equal or greater specification than listed here.
