Lead Work in Brandon

How we handle lead work

Lead Work in Brandon

Lead is the material of choice where a roof meets a wall, chimney, skylight or valley. When it fails, water finds a way in fast, and the damage to ceilings, rafters and masonry can be far more costly than the original repair. If you have noticed damp patches appearing after heavy rain, or your chimney breast feels cold and wet, a failed lead flashing is one of the most common causes.

We carry out lead work across Brandon and the surrounding area on all roof types: pitched slate and tile roofs, flat roof upstands, bay windows, dormers, extensions and chimneys. Lead work is not a one-size job - every junction has its own profile, pitch angle and exposure to deal with.

What Lead Work Actually Involves

Lead sheet is sold in coded weights, from Code 3 (thin, used for soakers) through to Code 8 (heavy, used for parapets and large gutters). Using the correct code for the application matters: undersized lead flexes and cracks prematurely, oversized lead is wasteful and can pull fixings out. For step flashings on a chimney or abutment wall, Code 4 or Code 5 is the standard choice. Valley gutters typically call for Code 5 or Code 6 depending on roof pitch and the volume of water they carry.

Lead must be dressed in sections no longer than 1.5 metres to allow for thermal movement. A common problem with older lead work is that it was laid in one continuous length, which then splits or pulls away from the wall as temperatures change through the seasons. Frost and summer heat both put stress on lead, and this cycling matters.

The process for a chimney flashing job typically runs as follows:

• Remove the old flashing material and chase out the mortar joints in the brickwork
• Cut and dress the new lead to the correct code, forming back gutters, soakers, step flashings and aprons as needed
• Tuck the dressed lead into the raked mortar joint and secure with lead wedges
• Point up with a flexible mortar or appropriate sealant to prevent water tracking behind the lead
• Check the relationship between the lead and the tiles or slates below - slipped or broken tiles near a chimney often go unnoticed until the flashing is lifted

Valley work is more labour-intensive. Open lead valleys need the old felt, battens and valley boards checked before the new lead goes in. If the boards have rotted, they need replacing before any lead is fitted - there is no point dressing new lead over a soft substrate that will flex and crack the work within a year or two.

Chimney Lead Work

Chimneys are a common location for lead failure. A chimney stack projects above the roof line, which means it takes the full force of wind and rain on all four faces. The back gutter - the lead tray that sits behind the chimney where it meets the roof slope - is often the first to fail, because water pools there and accelerates weathering.

On older properties, you may find that original lead has been patched with roof sealant or bitumen tape. These are temporary fixes that rarely last more than a season. Where sealant has been used, we remove it completely before fitting proper dressed lead sections - sealant left under new lead traps moisture and causes the brickwork behind it to degrade.

If a chimney is no longer in use, capping or removing the stack is worth considering. An unused chimney still needs its lead maintained or the structure becomes a water ingress point. We can advise on the options when we assess the job.

Bay Windows and Extension Abutments

Lead flashings on bay window roofs and extension abutments fail for similar reasons to chimney flashings - thermal movement, inadequate fixings and insufficient overlap with the wall. On brick or render walls, the flashing should be tucked into a raked joint at least 25mm deep, not just stuck to the surface. Surface-bonded flashings are a quick fix that lifts in the first warm spell.

Extension roofs that run into a two-storey wall are a particularly high-risk junction. If the extension has a low-pitch or flat roof, the upstand height of the lead flashing against the wall needs to be adequate to prevent wind-driven rain from getting behind it. A minimum 150mm upstand is the standard to work to in exposed positions.

Why Lead and Not an Alternative?

Lead has been used on British roofs for centuries because it is genuinely durable, easy to work with hand tools and fully recyclable. Aluminium and zinc flashings are used in some situations, but lead remains the preferred material for most junctions on brick and stone properties because it conforms closely to irregular surfaces and weathers well in the UK's damp climate. Mortar-bedded lead flashings on a well-built chimney can last 50 years or more with no intervention, though pointing may need attention sooner.

Self-adhesive lead alternatives are available, and there are situations where they are the right call - particularly on small, simple junctions where access is difficult. For main flashings and valleys, properly dressed sheet lead remains the most reliable option.

What to Expect When We Come Out

When we look at a lead work problem, we check not just the lead itself but the surrounding tiles, pointing and timber. It is common for a damp problem that appears to be a flashing failure to have multiple contributing factors - a slipped tile below the flashing, a cracked chimney pot letting water in from above, or failed pointing on the stack. We will tell you what we find and what needs doing, in plain terms.

Lead work is priced by the job rather than by a standard rate, because the complexity varies so much. A small flashing repair is a short job. We measure and price accurately before any work begins so there are no surprises.

Book a Lead Work Survey

If you have damp appearing after rain, or you can see lead that has lifted, split or pulled away from the brickwork, call us to arrange a survey. We cover Brandon and the surrounding villages. The sooner a flashing failure is addressed, the less secondary damage you will be dealing with inside the property.