A
batten is a thin strip of solid material (usually
woodWood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of trees . In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves...
). Battens are used for various purposes in building construction, as well as other various fields.
Battens are used to provide the fixing point for roofing sheet or roof tiles. The orientation and spacing of the battens depends on the type of roof. Battens may be oriented at right angles to the
trussIn architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight slender members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and...
es or
rafterA rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members, that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads....
s of a roof, like
purlinIn architecture or structural engineering or building, a purlin is a horizontal structural member in a roof. Purlins support the loads from the roof deck or sheathing and are supported by the principal rafters and/or the building walls, steel beams etc....
s. They may be parallel to the slope of the roof, as on a batten seam roof, where the battens cover seams in the roofing material and are themselves covered by metal caps.
A
batten is a thin strip of solid material (usually
woodWood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of trees . In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves...
). Battens are used for various purposes in building construction, as well as other various fields.
Roofing battens
Battens are used to provide the fixing point for roofing sheet or roof tiles. The orientation and spacing of the battens depends on the type of roof. Battens may be oriented at right angles to the
trussIn architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight slender members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and...
es or
rafterA rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members, that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads....
s of a roof, like
purlinIn architecture or structural engineering or building, a purlin is a horizontal structural member in a roof. Purlins support the loads from the roof deck or sheathing and are supported by the principal rafters and/or the building walls, steel beams etc....
s. They may be parallel to the slope of the roof, as on a batten seam roof, where the battens cover seams in the roofing material and are themselves covered by metal caps. Some roofs may use a grid of battens in both directions, known as a counter-batten system.
Batten trim
Batten trim, or batten molding, is a thin strip of
trimMolding
or moulding
is a strip of material with various cross sections used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
, typically with a rectangular cross-section, used to cover seams between panels of exterior siding or interior paneling.
Board and batten
Board-and-batten
sidingSiding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly impact its property value....
is an exterior treatment of vertical boards with battens covering the seams.
Other uses
In
sailingSailing is the art of controlling a boat with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat...
, battens are long, thin strips (usually
fiberglassFiberglass, , is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. It is used as a reinforcing agent for many polymer products; the resulting composite material, properly known as fiber-reinforced polymer or glass-reinforced plastic , is called "fiberglass" in popular usage...
, or some similar material, nowadays, but historically wooden) used to support the roach of a
sailA sail is any type of surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind—in essence a vertically-oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:...
.
Also used on tall ships to form the ladders up the shrouds, same as
ratlinesRatlines, pronounced "rattlin's", are lengths of thin line tied between the shrouds of a sailing ship to form a ladder. They are found almost invariably on square rigged ships whose crews must go aloft to stow the square sails, but may also be present on larger fore-and-aft rigged vessels in order...
.
In cabinetry, battens may be used to strengthen panels made up of multiple boards, as in a batten door, or to cover joins.
In
stagecraftStagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, procurement of props, stage management, and...
, a
battenIn theater, batten or pipe refers to a long metal pole suspended above the stage or the audience from which lighting fixtures, theatrical scenery, tabs or other curtains may be hung...
or rail is a long pipe, usually metal, affixed to the ceiling or
fly systemA fly system is a system of ropes, counterweights, pulleys, and other such tools within a theatre designed to allow a technical crew to quickly move set pieces, lights, and microphones on and off stage by 'flying' them in from a large opening above the stage known as a flyspace, flyloft, fly tower,...
in a
theaterA theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be given...
.
In the steel industry, battens may also be referred to as "Top hats," in reference to the profile of the metal.
External links
An example of a barn that was built using board & batten siding
http://www.maplegroveconstruction.com/horse-barn-6b.jpg