If you need lead flashing work in Lakenheath, here is exactly what the process looks like from the moment we first look at the roof to the moment we leave your property tidy.
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Lead flashing is the sheet metal that seals every junction on your roof where the tiles or felt meet a vertical surface. Chimneys, skylights, dormers, lean-to abutments and open valleys all rely on correctly fitted lead to stay watertight. When lead fails - through age, movement, poor original installation or frost damage - water gets into the roof structure, often long before it shows up as a stain on a ceiling.
Thetford Roofers carry out lead flashing repairs and full replacements across Lakenheath and the wider area. This page walks through the job step by step so you know what to expect at every stage.
Before any lead work is quoted or started, the roof needs to be seen properly. A glance from the ground is not enough, particularly for chimney flashings, back gutters and valley details. Where safe access allows, a roofer should get up to the relevant section of the roof and look at the lead directly.
At the inspection stage, the following should be checked:
A thorough first inspection takes fifteen to thirty minutes depending on access. It should result in a clear assessment: what has failed, why, and what is needed to put it right properly.
The method of access depends on the roof height, pitch and the location of the lead work. For single-storey and low-eave work, a ladder and roof boards may be sufficient. For chimney stacks on two-storey properties, or any work on a steep pitch, scaffold is usually the right call - both for safety and to allow the work to be done properly without rushing.
If scaffold is required, this is typically hired separately and erected before the roofing work begins. It adds to the overall cost - scaffold hire for a straightforward chimney job typically runs from £200 to £400 depending on the duration and configuration - but it allows the roofer to work without constraint and to carry out a more thorough inspection and repair. Cutting corners on access is a false economy. Rushed work at height, done from a ladder where scaffold is really needed, rarely produces a neat or durable result.
Roof boards are used to spread the roofer's weight across the tiles and prevent damage. On older tiles especially - clay plain tiles, concrete interlocking tiles with worn surface - weight concentrated on one tile can crack it. Boards should always be used on a pitched roof unless the roofer is moving along the ridge only.
Once access is set up, the old lead comes off. On a chimney this means removing the apron flashing at the front, the side soakers and step flashings, and the back gutter behind the stack. Each piece is taken off carefully so the tiles beneath are not disturbed unnecessarily.
Where soakers are present under the tile courses, the relevant tiles on each course need to be lifted to remove them and then relaid. This is careful work. If a tile cracks during this process, it should be replaced - not pushed back and left.
Once the old lead is off, you can see the full picture beneath it. Common findings at this stage include:
The new lead has to have somewhere to go at its top edge. On masonry walls and chimney stacks, this means cutting a chase into the mortar joint at the right depth and height - typically 25mm deep and at least 75mm above the tile surface or valley floor. This is done with an angle grinder and chisel.
The chase needs to be clean and free of loose mortar. The wall surface below the chase should be free of old mastic, paint and projections that would prevent the lead from lying flat. On older render or soft lime-mortar brickwork, this preparation stage takes longer and needs more care to avoid damaging the substrate.
If the timber beneath the old lead is wet, this is the point at which it needs to dry before the new lead goes on. Trapping moisture under new lead accelerates timber decay. In some cases, a return visit a few days later is the right approach rather than covering up damp timber immediately.
Lead sheet is cut to the correct width and dressed - shaped - to fit the position. This is skilled manual work. At a chimney apron, the lead is cut, folded at the base to turn over the bottom tile course, and dressed back up the face of the stack. At a soaker position, each individual soaker is cut and shaped to fit under the tile and up against the wall, overlapping the one below.
Correct code specification matters here. Code 4 lead (1.80mm) is standard for most chimney and abutment flashings. Code 5 (2.24mm) is used for valley gutters and parapet details where water is likely to stand. Using code 3 lead - lighter and cheaper - in a position that needs code 4 is a common shortcut that leads to earlier failure.
Lead is fixed using copper or stainless-steel clips at the top edge. The lead folds over the clip. It is never nailed or screwed through the face, because a fastener through lead creates a stress point that cracks as the lead moves with temperature changes. The base of the flashing is dressed down to lie against the tiles or into the valley, but it is not rigidly fixed - it needs freedom to move.
At each section joint, lead is overlapped by a minimum of 100mm, and the overlap is sealed with a folded welt rather than with mastic or sealant. A welted joint is a permanent mechanical seal. A mastic joint is temporary.
Once the lead is in position and clipped, the top edge in the chase is pointed with mortar. The mortar used should be compatible with the existing masonry - a match in strength and composition. On older lime-mortar brickwork, hard cement mortar in the chase can cause stress cracking in the brick as the materials move differently. Pointing is usually left slightly recessed and angled to shed water away from the back of the lead.
This is the stage at which any other chimney pointing that needs attention is typically done at the same time. Having scaffold and access already in place makes it sensible to address anything nearby while you are there, rather than returning later at additional cost.
Once the lead is dressed, fixed, pointed and the tiles are relaid, the work should be checked before the roofer comes down. This means looking along each flashing line for lifted edges, checking that the pointing has set properly where it needs to, and confirming that all tiles disturbed during the job are correctly relaid and seated. Any cracked or broken tiles found during the job should be accounted for and replaced.
The old lead and any waste material comes down from the roof and is cleared from the property. Lead is a recyclable material with scrap value, and it should be taken away and dealt with properly rather than left with the householder. Any dust or debris from cutting the mortar chase should be swept up. The garden or access areas used during the job should be left clear.
For a standard chimney re-flash on a two-storey property in the Lakenheath area, including removal of old lead, cutting a new chase, fitting code 4 lead and pointing, expect a typical cost in the range of £350 to £650 without scaffold. With scaffold on a full two-storey chimney, the total rises accordingly. Valley re-lining in code 5 lead typically runs from around £120 to £160 per linear metre. These are realistic UK figures - a firm price depends on what the job involves once it has been properly inspected.
We work across Lakenheath and the surrounding area. Call Thetford Roofers to arrange an inspection and get a clear picture of what your lead work involves.
If you have a suspected lead flashing failure - a damp chimney breast, a wet patch near a skylight, or visible lifting at a valley - call us to arrange a proper look. We will inspect the roof, tell you exactly what needs doing and why, and give you a price based on what we actually find.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
