Lead work is one of the most demanding roofing skills, covering flashings, valleys, parapet copings and chimney soakers. We cut, dress and fix lead to last, using traditional techniques suited to the pitch and detail of each roof.
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Lead is the material of choice wherever a roof meets a wall, chimney, skylight or valley, and it has been used on British buildings for centuries for good reason. It is malleable, long-lasting and, when fitted correctly, highly resistant to the movement that every roof goes through as temperatures change. When it fails, it usually fails slowly, which is why water damage is often well advanced by the time a homeowner notices a stain on a ceiling. If your Thetford property has a chimney, a flat roof section, a bay window roof or a dormer, lead work is almost certainly part of the picture.
Lead work covers several distinct details, each requiring a different approach. Flashings are the most common: these are strips of lead dressed against a wall or chimney to prevent rainwater tracking behind tiles or slates. Step flashings follow the slope of a roof up a chimney side, with each piece overlapping the one below. Cover flashings sit over the top of the stepped section and are tucked into a raked mortar joint, then dressed down. Getting the overlap and the depth of the chase right is what separates a lasting repair from one that fails within a season.
Valley gutters are another area where lead earns its place. An open lead valley sits between two roof slopes and carries rainwater down to the eaves. It needs to be wide enough to handle the flow from both pitches, and the lead must be dressed tight to the tilt fillets on each side. A common problem with valley flashings is that they were originally laid too narrow, which causes water to back up in heavy rain and find its way under the edges of the tiles.
On flat roof sections, the lead is laid in bays with rolls or drips between them to allow for thermal movement. Lead expands and contracts significantly with temperature change; if the bays are too large or the fixings are wrong, cracking and splitting follow. Replacing flat lead in bays of the correct size, with proper drips to the lower edge, stops this happening.
Chimney soakers are short L-shaped pieces of lead tucked under each course of tiles at the side of a chimney. They work with the step flashings to create a weatherproof junction. On many older properties they are missing altogether, with mortar fillet used instead. Mortar fillet cracks with movement and is not a lasting solution; replacing it with proper soakers and step flashings is the correct repair.
A damp patch on a chimney breast wall, particularly after prolonged rain, is a strong indication that flashings have failed. Other signs include:
Sealant and roofing tape are short-term fixes. They move differently from lead and typically fail within a year or two, sometimes within a single winter. If you can see tape or mastic on a flashing when you look at a roof, the underlying detail has not been addressed properly.
Lead code 3, 4 and 5 are the standard grades used in roofing. Code 3 is used for soakers and small flashings; code 4 is the workhorse for most chimney and abutment flashings; code 5 is used for valleys and flat roof sections where greater thickness is needed for longevity. Using the right code for the right detail matters. Under-weight lead on a valley, for instance, will be prone to cracking from foot traffic during maintenance and from thermal movement over time.
Alternatives such as lead-effect flashings made from aluminium or zinc-coated materials are cheaper upfront but have a shorter service life and do not dress as tightly to irregular surfaces. On a heritage property or any building where the detail is complex, there is no practical substitute for traditional lead, properly fitted.
A lead work repair or replacement starts with stripping the existing material and assessing what is underneath. If the timber substrate on a flat roof section is soft or rotten, it needs to be replaced before new lead goes on. On a chimney, the condition of the stack itself matters; if the brickwork is soft or the pointing is open, that needs addressing at the same time, because water will find another route in if only the flashing is fixed.
New lead is cut to size on site, dressed into position and fixed with clips or tacks that allow it to move. Chase cuts for cover flashings are made carefully to avoid disturbing sound mortar joints beyond what is necessary. Once the lead is in place, the chase is pointed with a suitable mortar mix. The finished joint should be neat and fully filled, with no gaps for water to sit in.
Lead work is priced by the detail and the amount of lead involved. For a straightforward chimney flashing replacement on a standard semi-detached, typical costs in the current market run from around £300 to £600 depending on the size of the stack and whether soakers are needed as well as step and cover flashings. A valley gutter re-lead might run from £400 to £900. Flat lead roof sections on a bay window or small extension are usually priced by the square metre, with typical figures in the range of £80 to £150 per square metre for lead supply and fixing, though this varies with access and the condition of the substrate. These are honest typical ranges; the actual figure depends on what is found on the day.
Lead as a material has a long service life when fitted correctly. Manufacturer data for roofing lead typically cites a service life of 60 years or more for correctly specified and installed work, though this depends on the grade used and the detail involved.
If you are unsure whether your lead work is the source of a damp problem, a visual inspection from roof level will usually confirm it. Call us to arrange a roof survey and we will tell you exactly what the lead detail looks like and what, if anything, needs to be done. We cover Thetford and the surrounding area, including Brandon, Mundford, Watton, Mildenhall, Elveden, Barnham, East Wretham, Croxton, Brettenham, Methwold and Kilverstone. Call Thetford Roofers to book your survey.
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