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Guernsey’s construction industry is suffering from a shortage of roofing batten, but help is on the way with an alternative product being developed on-island.
The covid pandemic stalled production at millions of factories worldwide, including those that supply Guernsey’s construction industry.
The island has seen shortages of plasterboard, cement, screws, nails, and power tools. However, it’s roofing batten that has experienced the longest and most drawn-out supply problems.
“You’re still looking at four or five months for delivery at the moment,” said the CEO of Norman Piette, John Bampkin.
Pictured: Roofing batten has a multitude of uses but is mainly used to support tiles on roofs.
“Most of the product issues have been quite severe but quite short. Plasterboard was an issue for a while, so was cement, but they seem to be slowly getting sorted. The batten remains the longest problem.”
Roofing batten is a long length of timber, and it can’t simply be replaced by other lengths of cut timber. It’s unique because of the percentage of knots over a given area - knots being where a branch or twig would’ve met with the tree.
You need a small number of knots to allow for the batten to be a certain strength. It’s stress tested and treated to protect it for the duration of a roof. You’ll often notice it for its red colour.
Mr Bampkin said help is on the way, with an alternative product hopefully arriving soon.
“We have been working with building control on the island and they are allowing us to look at cutting batten out of a structural timber. If it’s treated on site by a builder properly, then it will be ok to use,” he said.
Pictured: Without roofing batten, many construction firms are having jobs delayed.
The issue feeds from a global problem, with the United States among the global superpowers buying up as much construction material as possible.
“The thing with timber is we get outbid in Europe,” said Mr Bampkin.
“There are only four mills in Europe that produce this stuff and because the Americans are going beserk on their investment into the construction industry we often get outbid.”
Mr Bampkin hopes to have some information out within the next couple of weeks on the alternative product.
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