What is a furring batten?
A furring batten, also called a furring strip, is a timber batten fixed to a wall or ceiling to carry the finish: plasterboard, sheet material, timber panelling or a lath background for plaster. The battens together form the supporting framework, sometimes called the battening or the furring. Their job is to give the boards a straight, level plane to be fixed to, and in many cases to hold the finish clear of the structure behind.
Why batten out at all
- To create a flat plane. Masonry and existing ceilings are rarely straight enough to board directly.
- To give a fixing. Boards need supports at fixed centres so that every edge lands on timber.
- To form a cavity. The gap behind the battens can take insulation, services or a ventilated void that lets the construction dry out.
- To hold the finish off damp masonry, particularly on external walls and in older buildings.
Sizing and spacing
Batten sections are chosen for the load and the span between fixings. Light battening suffices for panelling on a solid wall, while a ceiling carrying plasterboard needs a deeper section or a double-layer framework. Timber should be dry, graded and treated where damp is a risk.
Centres follow from two things: the board size and the weight of the finish. Board joints must land centrally on a batten, and heavier finishes call for closer centres. The board manufacturer’s fixing schedule is the reference that governs the spacing.
Setting out and fixing
- Decide the direction. Battens run across the length of the boards, so each board bears on several supports.
- Set centres from the board size, so that every joint finishes on a batten.
- Pack to a true plane. Use packers or a counter-battened layer to take up hollows; an uneven framework gives an uneven ceiling.
- Fix into something structural, joists or rafters, or with suitable plugs into masonry and concrete.
- Add extra battens at edges, around openings, and wherever anything heavy will be fixed to the finished surface.
Related terms
- Batten
- Counter batten
- Stud
- Plasterboard
- Lath
- Centres
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