How to Choose the Right Roof Battens of Steel for Your Building?

 Roofing battens perform several essential functions in a roof structure. They provide a surface for fixing roof tiles and carry their weight. They also help to support imposed loads caused by snow and wind during construction and may even provide a foothold during installation. However, we recommend only doing this where the batten is directly over a rafter. 

With so much relying on the roofing battens of steel, specifying the correct product is essential. Failure to comply with the relevant standards could impact the overall life expectancy of the roof. This guide has been written to help you understand the requirements and recognise the differences between products. 

What Should You Look for When Choosing Roof Battens? 

To help make it easier to choose between the vast range of roofing battens on the market, we’ve put together a handy checklist of things to look out for: 

1. Grading stamp  

Only battens that have been pre- or factory-graded to BS 5534 are considered compliant roofing battens. If you have any doubts, check with the manufacturer. Third-party certification provides additional quality assurance. 

2. Batten colour  

The issue of what roofing batten colours mean has caused some confusion. While the distinctive red colour of battens gives peace of mind that you are using a BS 5534-compliant batten, this is not necessarily the case for all coloured battens on the market. Please don’t assume that just because it is coloured, a batten conforms to the standard. It must also have the correct stamps and supporting documentation. 

3. Timber 

The kind of timber used for a roofing batten is significant. The tree species from which the wood has come should be stamped on the batten.  

4. Drying process  

Timber that is too wet is prone to mould growth and rot. However, it must be dried and controlled to prevent defects such as warping and splitting. Check that the battens you buy are kiln-dried, as this helps to stabilise the timber. 

5. Grading process  

Roofing battens must be pre-graded before they arrive at the site. This can be done visually or by a machine. Using camera and laser scanning technology, mechanical grading produces the most accurate and consistently graded roofing battens, delivering high accuracy, consistency, and quality assurance. 

6. Quality checks  

Ask what quality checks the battens go through. Our timber is quality-checked at every stage of the process. Raw materials are checked for conformity to our buying specifications. An operator is present during the scan to check for compliance, and the battens are rechecked when the scan is complete. Pieces are also pulled from the production process every hour for a full quality check for compliance with BS 5534. 

7. Treatment 

Roofing battens should be preservative-treated to Use Class 2 by BS 8417. Different manufacturers use their types of preservative treatment and may offer various guarantees as a result. JB Red Battens use a patented preservative called MicroPro. It has a unique red pigment and carries a 60-year lifetime guarantee against insect attack and wood-rotting fungi (when applied correctly following the requirements of Usage Class 2).