June 2022

Battens
DON’T COMPROMISE ON QUALITY
An essential component of a roof, battens are structurally important, so Rob Cookson,
National Business Development Manager at Marley, says it makes sense to use the
best. However, as he points out, current supply issues have meant that inferior – and
crucially less safe – battens could have entered the market, so whilst some roofing
battens may be slightly cheaper, Rob says they could cause problems down the line...
As Rob Cookson, National Business
Development Manager at Marley, points
out: “When it comes to battens, it’s
important that roofers understand what they’re
buying – not all battens are the same. Cheaper
and often inferior battens may carry
imperfections that can cause breakages and lead
to accidents on site, especially since being weight
bearing, as battens are used as a step ladder
whilst a contractor is working on the roof.
“With site safety being of paramount importance,
and the safety of the team being the ultimate
responsibility of the contractor, choosing to
compromise on the quality of a safety-critical
product on a roof, such as battens, could well be
a costly – and avoidable – mistake.’
Rely on Red
Critically, only battens that have been pre- or
factory graded to BS 5534 can be called or used
as ‘roofing battens’, such as Marley’s JB Red, a
high-quality roofing batten. Marley also says it’s
the only UK factory-graded batten available to the
roofing industry with BBA certification.
Marley says it sets the standard for graded
roofing battens, and with its wealth of experience,
expertise and knowledge of the roofing and timber
markets, Marley says it sources the timber for its
JB Red battens from its extensive network of
Scandinavian saw mills.
Rob continued: “Selecting the correct timber to
use for roofing battens is of paramount
importance. We only source slow-grown timber
which ensures strength and durability, whilst our
battens are cut from kiln-dried sideboards to
provide maximum strength and stability, plus they
Above: Marley’s Goldeneye scanner. Right: JB Red batten.
are less likely to distort.”
Produced at its specialist manufacturing site in
Gainsborough, Marley says JB Red battens are
stringently tested and graded using its state-ofthe-art,
dedicated roof batten scanning line –
Goldeneye.
Scanning each timber batten intricately to the
millimetre, Marley says Goldeneye’s computercontrolled,
dedicated laser and camera grading
line produces battens graded to the performance
regulations of BS 5534 both quickly and
accurately. The manufacturer says it is important
to note that currently, many other suppliers within
the UK batten market rely on visual grading only.
In addition, MicroPro, a preservative treatment
that protects against wood rotting, fungi and
insects – and gives a 60-year desired service life
– vacuums a preserving red pigment into the
timber ensuring that the resulting battens are
both completely protected, and also transformed
to give their distinctive and easily identifiable red
colour.
Visibly exceeding standards
Marley points out whilst JB Red completely meets
the NHBC requirements for fully graded roofing
battens, the red colour means that they are highly
visible on site, making it easy for Local Authority
Building Control, NHBC, and other inspectors to
see that high-quality, pre-graded and compliant
battens have been used.
An easy choice
Rob continued: “Our JB Red battens help to make
your life on site both easier and safer. Being pregraded,
no further grading on site is required,
saving you time. Being red in colour, means that
they are easily identifiable, making any
inspector’s – as well as your – job easier.
“Finally, the exceptionally high quality of
manufacture at every stage – from integral
strength and consistency of size to thoroughly
protective treatments giving real peace of mind –
makes JB Red battens an easy choice for any
roofing contractor to make.”
Contact Marley / JB Red
www.marley.co.uk/roofing-batten/
jb-red-batten
01283 722222
20 TC JUNE 2022