Is Blue Still Best? A Guide to Blue Roofing Batten
The colour blue has been associated with BS5534 roofing batten for some time but in the last few years questions have been raised about the quality of blue roofing batten, with some opting for red batten instead.
With over 37 years in the timber industry, our Timber Category Manager, Pat Collins, thinks blue Vudlande batten is one of the finest quality graded battens on the market.
This guide will cover:
- What is blue batten?
- Why is roofing batten blue?
- Why should roofing batten meet the BS3354 standard?
- What is the difference between red batten and blue batten?
- 3 key things to look for when buying roofing batten
- How will I know if my roofing batten is BS3354 compliant?
- Where to buy quality roofing batten
What is blue batten?
Blue batten, also known as roofing/tile batten, is used in the construction of pitched roofs as a fixing point for tiles, slates and sheets. Once fixed in place, blue timber batten also helps provide a foothold for roofers as they build parts of the roof.
Why is roofing batten blue?
Roofing batten is blue to help distinguish that it is suitable timber for roofing and meets the necessary BS5534 standard.
So whether you’re a roofer visiting one of our merchant yards, or a building inspector, seeing bright blue batten is a quick indication that you’re looking at roofing batten.
Blue batten gets its colour from “Vacsol Aqua” – a water based treatment with blue added to it.
Roofing batten hasn’t always been blue
For many years, Type A (green) batten was deemed suitable for pitched roof construction. However, the quality of green treated type A batten sometimes left a lot to be desired.
“Battens are relatively small sections so small knots or natural defects make a big difference in performance” says Pat.
“Poor quality timber battens have a larger chance of failing . The BS5534 roofing batten standard was created to improve the quality of roofing batten.”
Why should roofing batten meet the BS5534 standard?
BS5534 is the Code of Practice for Slating and Tiling on pitched roofs. The standard also covers everything above the rafters of a roof – including fixings, underlay and roofing batten.
Your roofing batten should meet the BS5534 standard to ensure that it meets a minimum width and thickness and is strong enough to support the weight of the tiles, slates or sheets being fixed to them.
The BS5534 standard isn’t a legal requirement, but most reputable roofing contractors will build to British Standards. All NHBC and LABC developers should build using BS5534 compliant battens.
What is the difference between blue batten and red batten?
Blue vs red sounds more like a Manchester football derby. But when it comes to roofing, both blue and red battens should be BS5534 compliant providing they tick all of the boxes on the checklist later in this article.
The main difference is who they are manufactured by.
- Red roofing batten, also known as “JB Red”, is only produced by one manufacturer – Marley and is a very well made product.
- Blue roofing batten is produced by a number of mills - and not all of them produce the right quality for Elliotts.
“Although most blue batten meets the BS5534 standard, it doesn’t necessarily mean its good quality. There are some lower quality mills out there that gives all blue batten a bad name, which is unfair”, says Pat.
With uncertainty around blue batten, it’s not surprising that some people opt to build with red batten. But there are some good blue batten manufacturers out there, you just need to know where to find them.
Luckily, we know a place.
“Here at Elliotts, we source the vast majority of our blue timber batten from the Vudlande sawmill in Latvia. Their blue batten quality is far superior to most, and is the only BS5534 batten on the market that goes through both a laser and x-ray process to look inside and outside of the timber.”
So when you buy your blue batten from us, you know you’re getting the best quality roofing batten that we can source.
3 things to check for when buying roofing batten
To make sure you’re using the best quality roofing batten, here are the top three things to look for when buying roofing batten:
1. Standard
Make sure your timber roofing batten meets the BS5534 standard.
Both blue and red batten are BS5534 compliant (for extra quality assurance, we recommend our Vudlande X-Ray Blue battens).
3. Certification
Always look out for FSC or PEFC certified timber roofing battens. This means that your timber has come from a sustainable and managed timber source. Most timber suppliers will stock certified timber.
Our Vudlande blue roofing battens are certified by PEFC.
How will I know if my roofing batten is BS5534 compliant?
All BS5534 roofing batten will be stamped with:
- The BS5534 standard
- The mill name
- Treatment process
- Origin
- Species
- Grade
- Any 3rd party verification (i.e. FSC or PEFC)
Buy quality roofing batten for your project
We carry huge stocks of quality blue timber roofing battens ready for collection or delivery alongside a wide array of roofing materials and building products.
If you have a special requirement or need to know any more technically, contact Pat and his team.
