Ecowood Batten/Screen (Fencing) – Ease Edge – 140×16 mm (4×1″) – 4000 mm

Ecowood Batten & Screen – Ease Edge

Thermally modified timber that performs like a tropical hardwood without the tropical hardwood price tag or the sustainability question mark. Ecowood’s Ease Edge batten is manufactured from sustainably sourced softwood that has been kiln-heat-treated to above 185 °C, driving out the sugars and moisture that wood-boring insects and rot fungi depend on. The result is a Class 1 durability rating, a stable board that won’t cup or bow in the Irish climate, and a conscience-clear specification. These are stocked in our yard for delivery across Ireland.

Why Ecowood?

Conventional softwood battens need preservative treatment and regular maintenance to survive outdoors in Ireland. Ecowood has been permanently transformed by the thermal modification process — no added chemicals, no preservatives, just physics. The modified cell structure resists moisture uptake, which is why it remains dimensionally stable where untreated softwood would swell and shrink with the seasons. For a fencing or screening application, that stability translates directly into gaps that stay consistent, fixings that stay tight, and a structure that doesn’t rack over time.

The Ease Edge profile a clean, slightly arrised long-edge suits both vertical screen panels and horizontal batten fencing. The 140 × 16 mm section gives you a substantial face width with a slim depth, ideal for shadow-gap screening runs and contemporary close-board styles alike. Ecowood weathers naturally to a consistent silver-grey, which many designers spec deliberately. If you prefer to retain the warm mid-brown tone it leaves the kiln with, a pigmented oil is the practical route.

Installation guidance

Ecowood installs with standard woodworking tools no specialist equipment needed. Because thermal modification reduces the timber’s moisture content to around 4–6%, it is more brittle than green or air-dried softwood. Pre-drilling is strongly recommended at all fixing points, particularly within 50 mm of any board end. Use stainless steel or hot-dip galvanised fixings throughout; the modified timber has a mildly elevated acidity that will accelerate corrosion in standard zinc-plated screws, and the resulting staining is difficult to remove.

Allow a 5–8 mm gap between boards in a vertical screen to account for the small amount of residual movement the material retains. Fix to pressure-treated or naturally durable subframe timbers Ecowood’s durability applies to the boards themselves, not to any untreated supporting structure behind them. If your project is a close-board fence panel, screw-fix rather than clip-fix to keep the slim profile secure in exposed positions.

Finishing & maintenance

You have two good options with Ecowood, and neither is a compromise. The natural route leaves the boards untreated, allowing the silver grey to coat them evenly over the first & second season, which is the most popular choice among our customers and requires virtually no ongoing effort. The preserved route maintains that warm red cedar tone with a quality penetrating oil takes a little more attention but gives you a facade that holds its colour year after year. If you choose to oil, use a UV-stabilised, water-based penetrating oil formulated for thermally modified timber; conventional linseed-based oils and film-forming varnishes are not suitable and will peel or blotch. Ask us which products we currently stock that pair well with Ecowood we’re happy to point you in the right direction. Whichever route you choose, a brush down with a soft brush and a low-pressure rinse once a year is enough to keep the surface looking its best