Do I need to treat the ends of cross cut treated timber battens?

When cutting treated timber, best practice is to treat the cut end with a brush on preservative.
 
BS 5534:2014+A2:2018, the code of practice for slating and tiling for pitched roofs and vertical cladding, states that all timber roofing battens should be preservative treated in accordance with BS 8417:2011+A1:2014, the code of practice for the preservation of wood. These preservative treatments protect the timbers against fungal and insect attack. 

Although some may argue that roof battens are protected within the roof space, and therefore the risk of decay is minimal, the risk does still exist, and a quick treatment of the sawn edges can mitigate that risk.  

The National House Building Council (NHBC) Standards provide guidance on the treatment of cut surfaces and are clear about the need to treat the ends of cross-cut battens.  
 
Section 3.3.5 states: "Timber should not be resawn, ripped or planed after treatment. Reworking should be limited to cross cutting, boring, drilling and notching; reworked surfaces should be re-treated with two liberal brush coats of a suitable preservative recommended by the manufacturer of the industrial wood preservative." 
 

What timber preservative should be used on roofing battens? 

Here at Marley, our JB Red roofing battens are preservative-treated to BS 8417:2011 Usage Class 2 using Koppers MicroPro® with a unique red colour. 

For battens that are cut on-site, we typically recommend using a water-based preservative.  

 
If you need preservative treatment recommendations, please contact our technical team. We can discuss your roof build-up and suggest a suitable product for your project. 

 
To find out more about Marley’s roofing battens, please visit our JB Red battens product page or download our timber roofing batten brochure.