Graphical Construction Glossary >> Roofs and roofing. >> Roof Framing >> Roof battens

Roof Battens

Horizontal members fixed to the top of the rafters the battens vary in size and spacing depending on the roof material that they carry. In the larger sizes sometimes called purlins.

Metal Roof-battens

Made out of roll formed metal. In a type of "top hat" section. Tek screwed to the rafters.

Metal ceiling-battens

Made out of roll formed metal. similar but smaller in profile the roof-battens. Tek screwed to the ceiling joists, but more often used in conjunction with gang nail truss construction.

Timber Roof-battens

Made out of timber. Fixed to the rafters in the smaller sizes for slates and tiles with serrated grip nails (mostly by by nail guns), and in the larger sizes by various plate connectors or straps.

Timber ceiling-battens

Made out of timber. Fixed to the ceiling joists in the with serrated grip nails (mostly by by nail guns).

Above a 75 x 50 roof-batten/purlin fixed with a purlin strap. The straps are typically one per connection but alternate on either side of the rafter. In most cases these straps are hidden in the roof space, but where the fixing is seen top hat straps are used unlike the one shown here.

The rolled formed metal roof battens have many advantages over timber, provided of course that they are suitable for the type of roofing being fixed to them.

• They are per lineal metre lighter, they are straighter, they are available in longer lengths than timber.
• As shown in the photos on the right they are stackable. This means more compact for transport and storage, but a greater advantage is that they can be overlapped at the joints, saving precise cutting, extra screws etc. The fact that they are of double thickness makes it only slightly harder to screw though them when fixing the cladding.
• As seen in the photo, at almost no extra effort the ends can have be cropped to the purlin top cuts at the supplier's factory, greatly simplifying hip roof fixing.

Regarding the metal ceiling battens. If the internal walls are framed, That is not brickwork or masonry, then it is normal to make them lower by the thickness of the ceiling batten. This allows continuous lengths of battens to span over the walls saving on extra ceiling joists and trimmers around the walls as in standard construction.

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