A batten's a thin strip of solid material (usually wood). 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 trusses or rafters of a roof, like purlins. They may be parallel to the slope of the roof, as on a batten seam roof, where the batt… (More on Batten)