A verge-tile finishing batten is a — usually wooden — batten fitted under the verge tile to fill the space created between the gable and the edge tile. The verge tile is the tile at the side edge (along the gable or the fascia) of a roof plane.
What is the batten for?
When roof tiles are laid, the row of tiles does not always align exactly with the gable. Because the tiles have a fixed width, a leftover strip is sometimes left over that can no longer be dealt with by slightly shifting the tiles. The verge-tile finishing batten fills this space:
- Functional — the batten closes off the open space between the gable and the verge tile, creating a neat, sealed roof edge
- Aesthetic — the batten can serve as a decorative finishing element along the roof edge
Application
The finishing batten is used on the side of pitched tiled roofs, at the junction between the roof plane and the gable or the barge board. It is a flexible aid for resolving dimensional differences in the roof detailing at the edges.
Point to note
Finish the batten and the junction watertight and windtight, so that no rain or driven snow can get behind the verge tiles. Use durable, treated, or naturally rot-resistant timber, because the batten sits in a weather-exposed position.
Related terms
- Verge tile
- Roof tile
- Barge board
- Fascia
- Roof edge
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