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Thread: battens

  1. #1
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    Default battens

    just wondering, hyou're thoughts would be appreciated.
    Do you thing the addition of new battens between the older ones would create enough of a lack of ventilation to cause excessive roof heat buildup and premature failure?

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: battens

    Quote Originally Posted by wayne soper View Post
    just wondering, hyou're thoughts would be appreciated.
    Do you thing the addition of new battens between the older ones would create enough of a lack of ventilation to cause excessive roof heat buildup and premature failure?
    No, but there is plywood or OSB on top of it all, so there is no ventilation through the roof anyway. What ventilation would be between the battens anyway?

    Was that wood shake and they now have shingles on it?

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  3. #3
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    Default Re: battens

    The question that begs asking is why bother with the fill-ins when they used plywood decking unless the plywood was less than 5/8" in thickness?

    Jerry McCarthy
    Building Code/ Construction Consultant

  4. #4
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    Default Re: battens

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry McCarthy View Post

    The question that begs asking is why bother with the fill-ins when they used plywood decking unless the plywood was less than 5/8" in thickness?
    .
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  5. #5
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    Default Re: battens

    No plywood decking. One layer cedar shingle on battens. Older battens may have been too hard to nail through. Built in 1890.
    MAybe a bad photo, but no plywood.

    What ventilation would be between the battens anyway?

    Jerry? HUH?

    Cedar saver is used with plywood decfking to allow ventilation under the shingle.
    No cedar saver is required with battens because the back of the shingle gets ventilation from the attic side.
    My question is, Would blocking a large portion of this ventilation from behind by doubling up on the battens casue a lack of ventilation and overheating or poor drying of the shingle.


  6. #6
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    Default Re: battens

    OK, no plywood decking, new shake roof covering installed on spaced sheathing, so how come I don't see any 15 lb. felt interlayment?

    Jerry McCarthy
    Building Code/ Construction Consultant

  7. #7
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    Default Re: battens

    Quote Originally Posted by wayne soper View Post
    No plywood decking. One layer cedar shingle on battens. Older battens may have been too hard to nail through. Built in 1890.
    MAybe a bad photo, but no plywood.

    What ventilation would be between the battens anyway?

    Jerry? HUH?

    Cedar saver is used with plywood decfking to allow ventilation under the shingle.
    No cedar saver is required with battens because the back of the shingle gets ventilation from the attic side.
    My question is, Would blocking a large portion of this ventilation from behind by doubling up on the battens casue a lack of ventilation and overheating or poor drying of the shingle.
    The ventilation of the attic is not through the roof covering, not even cedar shingles or shakes - and that is what I thought you were referring to ... ventilation of the attic.

    Cedar shingles dry out on their own, and as W C Jerry pointed out - where it the felt between courses?

    The question I have, knowing now that there is no plywood or OSB on it, is 'What is the exposure of the cedar shingles?' - that is what affects the spacing of the spaced sheathing.

    Other than that, no, I doubt there is any negative effect from the additional spaced board sheathing.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

  8. #8
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    Default Re: battens

    No felt is used between shingle layers in this area.
    Felt is used when wood shakes are used, but these are machine cut shingles.
    POssibly made in china
    Spacing is 6 inches.
    Yes, I was interested in the proper drying of the shingles themselves. Not the attic.
    Not a serious issue, the though just came to mind so I though I would throw it into the fire.
    Thanks for you're responses ny friends!


  9. #9
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    Default Re: battens

    Sorry Wayne, I thought you stated wood shake roof covering instead of shingle. wood shingle coverings do not require interlayment.
    (read the question twice Clyde!)

    Jerry McCarthy
    Building Code/ Construction Consultant

  10. #10
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    Default Re: battens

    Wayne, I think if you measured all the gaps and did the math, there would be a lot of ventilation there. Premature aging is probably due to poor quality wood. It is getting hard to find good cedar shingle wood. There are 4 grades of shingles. The best have the saw cuts almost parallel to the wood grain, and they don't curl as easily as the lower grades.

    Here in BC, Canada, we are shipping raw logs to China nowadays, so your joke about 'made in China' is not too far off.

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  11. #11
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    Default Re: battens

    Thanks John, That's what I was looking for. China! HAHA


  12. #12
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    Default Re: battens

    Wayne,

    It looks like they added the battens to reduce the exposure. Is it possible that the first roof was slate then changed to wood shingles?

    Ken Amelin
    Cape Cod's Best Inspection Services
    www.midcapehomeinspection.com

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