Newmarket Roofers carries out all types of lead work for homeowners in Clare, from chimney flashing repairs to full valley and parapet replacements.
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Lead is the material used wherever a roof meets a vertical surface - around chimneys, along the edges of dormers, at bay window roofs, and where a pitched roof abuts a wall. It is hand-dressed and fixed in place, then sealed with mortar or purpose-made sealant so that water cannot track behind it. When it is done correctly, lead outlasts almost every other roofing material. When it is done badly, it is one of the most reliable sources of a persistent leak.
All our lead work is carried out to BS EN 12588 standard, which governs the alloy composition and the thickness (code) of lead used for each application. Code 4 is the minimum for most flashing work; codes 5 and 6 are used where a larger surface area needs to be covered, such as a flat roof abutment or a chimney back-gutter. Using the correct code matters because lead that is too thin will split through thermal movement over time.
Cracked or lifting flashing is the most visible sign of a problem. Lead expands and contracts with temperature changes, and if the original installer did not dress it in separate sections with proper expansion joints, it will eventually crack along stress lines. A common problem is mortar-only joints with no lead at all - a short-cut that looks passable on the day but fails within a few years.
Poorly pointed step flashing on chimney stacks is another frequent cause of water getting in. The steps must follow each individual course of tiles or slates, and each section must be turned into a mortar joint rather than simply bedded on top of the masonry. If the flashing is continuous rather than stepped, or if it has been patched with bitumen sealant, it is worth having it properly assessed.
Valley gutters are a third area where poor original work causes repeated problems. Open lead valleys carry a significant volume of water and need to be wide enough, laid to the correct fall, and dressed in overlapping sections. Valleys that have been patched or that are undersized for the roof pitch tend to overflow in heavy rain.
This is the question that matters most, because lead work is a skilled trade and the quality of the job is largely invisible until something goes wrong. Here is what to ask before you agree to any work.
Any contractor carrying out proper lead work should be able to tell you the code of lead they plan to use and why. Ask them to show you the material before it goes on. Lead sheet is stamped with its code, so this is easy to verify. If they cannot answer this question clearly, that tells you something important about how the job will be approached.
Pre-cut strips that are simply nailed in place are not the same as lead that is dressed to the profile of the surface it covers. Hand-dressing means the lead is shaped using bossing mallets or dressers to fit tightly into internal angles, around corners and into mortar joints. Ask the contractor directly whether this is how they work. A good roofer will not need to be prompted to explain it.
Lead must be laid in individual sections no longer than 1.5 metres to allow for thermal movement. Ask your contractor how long each section will be and where the joints will fall. This one detail distinguishes a proper installation from one that will crack within a few years.
Lead work rarely exists in isolation. A chimney with failed flashing may also have deteriorating mortar joints or a cracked stack. A dormer with a leaking apron flashing may have damaged tiles nearby. A contractor who looks only at the specific piece of lead you called about and nothing else may be leaving you with a job that leaks from a different point six months later. Ask them to describe everything they find while they are on the roof.
A verbal description of what will be done is not enough. You need to know the code of lead being used, which sections are being replaced versus repaired, whether any repointing or tile work is included, and what the price covers. If additional work is found once the scaffolding is up, you should know in advance how that will be communicated and priced.
Lead itself is not cheap. The material cost of code 5 lead sheet runs to several pounds per kilogram, and a full chimney re-flash typically uses a meaningful weight of it. A quote that seems significantly lower than others is often achieved by using thinner lead than is appropriate, by skipping proper dressing, or by not replacing sections that should be replaced. The short-term saving tends to cost more when the job needs redoing.
Proper lead work on a chimney or parapet usually requires scaffolding or a properly erected tower. If a contractor proposes to do the work from a ladder only, ask how they intend to hand-dress the lead safely and to a good standard from that position. There are some minor repairs where ladder access is reasonable, but a full re-flash is not one of them.
Good lead work has a distinctive appearance. The flashing sits tight against the masonry with no gaps or bubbling, the lead is a consistent grey colour without obvious patches or sealant smears, the pointing above it is neat and fully filled, and you can see the neat line of each section's overlap. It should not look like it has been forced into place or stuck down with mastic.
On a chimney, you should be able to see step flashing rising with each course of tile or slate on the sides, a back-gutter at the high side dressed into the junction between the stack and the slope, and an apron flashing across the front. Each element serves a specific purpose and each one needs to be done properly for the overall job to work.
Lead flashing repairs on a chimney typically cost between £200 and £500 depending on the extent of the work and the access needed. A full chimney re-flash including back-gutter, step flashings and apron flashing can range from £600 to £1,200 or more depending on the size of the stack and the complexity of the detail. Valley replacements vary more widely based on length. These are typical UK ranges - always get a specific price once the work has been properly assessed from the roof level, not from the ground.
If you have a damp patch on a ceiling near a chimney, a dormer or a bay, or if you can see cracked or lifting lead from the ground, call us to arrange a roof survey. We will give you a clear account of what we find and what we recommend, with no pressure to proceed.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
