Background
There has always been a British Standard for roofing battens. However in the
past often scant regard has been taken of it. Over the years the requirements
have been made clearer and given greater emphasis.
Pre 1997: This was the era of under measure battens. The tolerances were misinterpreted
and there was widespread use of 22mm thick or 25mm nominal battens.
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The first stage on the path enforcing graded battens was BS 5534:1997, pt1. This brought in type ‘A’ and ‘B’ species, differentiating between the stronger imported species (17% stronger in bending and stiffness than Homegrown Spitka Spruce) and the weaker homegrown ones (mainly Spitka Spruce). There was also the first move to 25x50 for single lap tiling. However, a calculation method allowed the continued use of Type ‘A’ 25x38. Heralding the use of marked battens. This era also saw 19x38 derecognised as a standard size.
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The next stage was British Standard BS 5534: 2003 The Code of Practice for Slating and Tiling which is the latest edition. It replaces the edition first published in 1978, later updated in 1990 and 1997. The new British Standard has significant commercial implications for everyone in the construction industry involved with specifying, supplying or fixing slating and tiling battens
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The present: BS 5534:2003 is now in its 5 year review stage and included in its continuous improvement will be a tighter specification for roofing battens.
