TDUK SupplyingTimber Issue 8 DIGITAL - Magazine - Page 39
Making the grade
Marking alone does not ensure
battens are correctly graded.
BS.5534 standard requires each
batten to be marked with the
following information. This
should be checked on receipt of
delivery.
• BS.5534
• Size
• 4 digit species code
Batten Sizes
The national standard
BS.5534 is very clear about
the requirement for the size of
battens:
• 50mm x 25mm (maximum
span 600mm)
• 38mm x 25mm (maximum
span 450mm).
Tolerances on basic sizes are
based on measurement at a
reference moisture content of
20%:
• Width: +/-3mm
• Depth: -0/ +3mm
We would strongly urge
importers, merchants, buyers,
and end users to be doing spot
check measurements on each
delivery of Tile Batten they
receive and rejecting deliveries
where sizes do not consistently
meet these requirements at 20%
moisture content. Particularly
where the depth is less than
25mm or less than 38mm as
these are critical for roofers'
safety.
SUPPLYING TIMBER
39
Batten treatments
Tile Batten should be
preservative treated to meet
the requirements of Use Class
2 for a Desired Service Life
of 60 years using a pressure
impregnation process.
A treatment certi昀椀cate should
be requested for each receipt,
con昀椀rming that the goods
supplied meet the requirements
of BS 8417 and are treated to
Use Class 2 using a pressure
impregnation process.
It is now a requirement
for all delivery notes from
TDUK members that include
preservative treated products,
to show the speci昀椀c Use Class
of the treated items in this case
Use Class 2.
Non-compliant battens
should not be installed and
should be rejected from site
as they pose a risk to roofers
and the performance of the
installed roof. Suppliers should
be informed immediately of
any size or quality issues
identi昀椀ed during receipt
inspections.
More information about
roo昀椀ng batten standards and
the importance of Use Class
wood treatments can be found
at www.timberdevelopment.uk
SPRING 2025
Image: © SR Timber.
STOCKING TIMBER
• Manufacturer ID.
In addition, third-party quality
assurance certi昀椀cation (not a
requirement of the standard)
may also be shown. TDUK
recommends only buying batten
with third-party assurance.
↓
that complies with British
Standards BS 5534 and BS 8417:
• Always purchase tile batten
from reputable suppliers,
preferably those who are
TDUK members.
• Do not purchase any
tile batten with varying
percentages of BS.5534
available, this may also be
o昀昀ered to you at di昀昀erent
price points. There is only
one grade of tile batten for
roo昀椀ng, and it should be
100% BS.5534 compliant, so
your supplier should only be
o昀昀ering one price point.
• Very few brands of tile batten
can be identi昀椀ed as reputable
by colour alone; therefore
buyers should always request
and obtain additional product
safety information before
making a purchase.
