Battenboard

[edit] Introduction

Battenboard is a timber-based sheet material that comprises of a core of boards faced on both sides. The core is made from parallel, rectangular-sections of bonded softwood strips (around 28mm wide); these are sandwiched between a variety of facing materials which can include veneers of softwood, hardwood, thin MDF or particle board. The assembly is glued under high pressure.

The construction can be three-layer – with a single facing on each side of the core, e.g MDF or particleboard, or it can be five-layer for better stability – with two facings on each side. The grain of the facing material is usually arranged so that it is perpendicular to that of the core strips – which for reasons of strength run along the length of the board and are usually made from seasoned, lightweight timbers, such as poplar or spruce. Their moisture content is usually 12% or less.

Battenboard can also be referred to as blockboard, coreboard or lumber core (US). In general the difference between battenboard and blockboard is that the former is a compound wood board consisting of boards of softwood placed side by side and sandwiched between veneer panels, often of hardwood, and considered to be of lower quality than the latter. Blockboard is a compound wood board consisting of nearly square strips of softwood placed side by side and sandwiched between veneer panels, often of hardwood.

[edit] Uses

Like chipboard, battenboard and blockboard are used mainly for interior uses due to the nature of the adhesives used. But in contrast to chipboard,they tend to have good structural stability and strength, thus suited for applications such as doors, shelves, tables, panelling, partitions or kitchen worktops which have no intermediate supports. Both are good base materials for veneering, but the edges will have to be lipped with solid wood. They can also be painted after a light sanding but the edges will still require lipping or alternatively filling and sanding.

[edit] Working

Battenboard and blockboard can be worked with standard tools: it is easily sawn and has good screw-holding and nail-holding properties. It can be resistant to warping if both sides have similar treatments. It can also be boiling water-proof and maybe considerd someone environmentally friendly because of the smaller, potentially waste section of timebr used, though as a glued product the type of glue used will effects it environmental status.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Adhesives.
• Cedar.
• Chipboard.
• Confederation of Timber Industries.
• Cross-laminated timber.
• Engineered bamboo.
• Glulam.
• Laminated veneer lumber LVL.
• Lime wood.
• Medium density fibreboard - MDF
• Modified wood.
• Oriented strand board.
• Plywood.
• Softwood.
• Timber.
• Timber construction for London.
• Timber preservation.
• Timber vs wood.
• Types of timber.