Wooden horizontal batten screw layout Kitchens, doors, rails, stud, tables, chairs, stair cases, garden furniture etc... Find answers and ask questions here!

[Andy-70-R]

I’ve had horizontal wooden battening fitted onto blockwork (exterior) We are fitting vertical slim millboard cladding onto this (see pic for similar) Should the screws holding the batten to the block work be staggered above and below the centre horizontal line on the batten, allowing the centre line free to attach the cladding to without having to remember where random screws are currently fitted. We also seem to have large nails in random places going through the batten into the block work which the builder has used an angle grinder to cut the heads down? Also some of the screws are sitting proud of the batten with a plastic collar underneath the head. I’m no expert but this seems wrong to me. Your thoughts please people on this.