Check your roofing battens are compliant

Don’t get taken in by substandard products

TDUK is reminding timber and builders’ merchants to make sure the timber battens they stock and sell are suitable for use on roofs, following continued warnings from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors about counterfeit products in circulation across the UK. This concern relates to sub-standard battens that are being marked, coloured and sold as though they comply with BS 5534. Roofing battens form a key part of any roof structure, fixed between the rafters to secure the roofing felt while supporting the weight of slates or tiles, along with additional pressures such as snow loading or high winds.

They also play an important role during the construction process, as roofers may stand, sit or lean on them while working. If a batten fails the consequences can be extremely serious, which is why strict standards are in place covering their manufacture, grading and quality.

Under British Standards, only battens that have been fully graded to BS 5534 can be described or sold as roofing battens. Requirements cover factors including the number of large knots, growth rings and the slope of the grain. Dimensions are also tightly controlled, with battens needing to measure either 38mm x 25mm, or 50mm x 25mm, with strict tolerances of -0/+3mm on thickness and -3/+3mm on the width.

Identifying a properly graded roofing batten by visual inspection alone can be difficult, which is why factory grading and clear marking are essential. Roofing battens should be marked with details including the supplier, size, timber species and BS 5534 reference. Supporting documentation should also confirm this information, alongside evidence of grading, country of origin and any preservative treatment applied.

Without these details, timber must not be sold or described as a roofing batten, tiling batten or slating batten. Any timber that has not been fully graded to BS5524 is simply treated sawn timber and should not be used as a roofing batten.

More details on how to identify a roofing batten can be found in a TDUK trade note, as well as our Merchant Guide to Selling Timber, both online at www.timberdevelopment.uk