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{{About|construction material|}}
[[File:Verschiedene Segellatten.jpg|thumb|Battens]]

A '''batten''' is a thin strip of solid material, typically made from [[wood]], [[plastic]] or [[metal]]. Battens are used in [[building construction]] and various other fields, as both structural and purely cosmetic elements. In the [[steel]] industry, battens may also be referred to as "top hats", in reference to the profile of the metal.

Battens are used in building construction in various ways:

*'''Roofing 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 [[truss]]es or [[rafter]]s of a roof, like [[purlin]]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''', or batten molding, is a thin strip of [[molding (decorative)|trim]], typically with a rectangular cross-section, used to cover seams between panels of exterior siding or interior paneling.

*'''Board-and-batten''' [[siding]] is an exterior treatment of vertical boards with battens covering the seams.

==Other uses==
*In [[sailing]], battens are long, thin strips (usually [[fiberglass]], or some similar material, nowadays, but historically wooden) used to support the [[Parts of a sail#The roach|roach]] of a [[sail]]. They are also used on [[tall ships]] to form the ladders up the shrouds, in a fashion similar to [[ratlines]].

*In [[cabinetry]], battens may be used to strengthen panels made up of multiple boards, as in a batten door, or to cover joins.

==See also==
{{Wiktionarypar|batten}}

[[Category:Woodworking]]
[[Category:Building materials]]

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