Do Your Battens Make The Grade?

Gavin White, product manager from Marley Eternit, says there are many reasons for choosing a specific roofing batten.

There is growing concern that roofers, who often end up sourcing battens due to a lack of detailed specification, could incorrectly think that the battens are fully graded. This raises serious health and safety, as well as quality concerns, so specifiers should consider:

1. BS 5534 Compliance marking - To be used on a roof, each batten should be indelibly marked with the supplier, origin, graded BS 5534, size and type of preservative (if applicable).
2. Grading processes - Check how the timber is graded. BS 5534 states both visual and machine grading should take place in a factory controlled environment and preferably with a recognised third party assessment, ideally encompassing both the process and the product.
   JB Red battens are put through a state-of-the-art laser grading machine called Goldeneye to deliver a high level of accuracy, consistency and quality assurance.
3. Timber sourcing - The stamp on the batten says where the timber has been sourced from and this is a very good indicator of quality. The wood for JB Red battens is sourced from northern Sweden and JB Red is manufactured with wood from the sideboard of a tree, which is one of the strongest parts.
4. Stability of the colour - The distinctive red colour of JB Red is a pigment added to the preservative treatment and vacuum impregnated deeply into the timber. This impregnation means the dye becomes part of the wood and doesn’t run when handled or exposed to rain.

To ensure compliance with regulations and manage health and safety risks, specify factory graded roofing battens that meet BS 5534 and are produced by an established supplier with a recognised third party certification of conformity.