Lead Work in Horsford

Expert Lead Work
in Horsford

The Role of Lead Flashing on Your Roof

Lead is the standard material for sealing the joints where your roof meets a chimney, dormer, skylight, or roof valley. It is dressed into mortar joints, lapped over tiles, and fixed with clips so that rainwater runs clear of those junctions rather than into your home. When lead is in good condition, you never think about it. When it fails, the results tend to show up as damp patches on ceilings or walls, often in rooms well away from the actual entry point because water travels before it drops.

The work involves cutting and dressing lead sheet to the correct Code specification, chasing it into masonry, and re-pointing to form a watertight seal. Code 4 and Code 5 are the grades most commonly used for chimney step flashings and back gutters. Valleys tend to use Code 5. Getting the Code right matters because lead that is too thin for the application will split under movement caused by heat and frost.

Repair or Replace? The Central Question

When a roofer tells you the lead needs attention, the next question is whether it can be patched or whether the whole section needs to come off and be replaced. The honest answer depends on the specific condition of the lead, and it is worth understanding the factors involved so you can have an informed conversation with any contractor who quotes for the job.

When a Repair Makes Sense

A repair is a reasonable option when the lead itself is structurally sound but a localised problem has developed. Common situations where repair is appropriate include the following.

• A single piece of step flashing has lifted because a fixing clip has corroded or worked loose. The lead is otherwise in good shape and just needs refixing and re-pointing.
• The mortar pointing behind a flashing has failed and dropped out, allowing water to run behind the lead without the lead itself being damaged. Raking out and re-pointing is all that is needed.
• A small split has appeared at a bend or corner on a piece of lead that is otherwise thick enough and correctly fitted. A lead patch, properly dressed and soldered, can seal a split like this for many more years.
• A lead wedge or tack has corroded and the flashing has started to pull away at one point. Replacing the fixing and re-dressing the edge is a straightforward job.

Repairs cost less than replacement and are entirely appropriate in these situations. There is no advantage in replacing lead that has many years of useful life left in it.

When Replacement Is the Better Decision

Replacement becomes the right call when the lead has reached the end of its serviceable life, when repeated repairs have been made to the same section, or when the original installation was done incorrectly and no amount of patching will address the underlying problem.

• Lead that has thinned through corrosion or that has cracked in multiple places will continue to fail even after local repairs. If you can see hairline cracks across the surface or the lead feels brittle when pressed, replacement is more economical in the long run.
• Lead that has been installed in pieces longer than about 1.5 metres without proper allowance for expansion will have buckled and cracked repeatedly. Fixing individual cracks leaves the root cause in place.
• If the lead has been dressed over old lead rather than the previous layers being removed, you can end up with uneven surfaces that pool water rather than shedding it. Stripping back to the substrate and starting again is the proper fix.
• Excessive mastic applied as a running repair over existing flashing is a sign that someone has been masking a problem rather than solving it. When mastic starts to peel or crack, the lead underneath is often already compromised.
• Lead around a chimney that is in poor structural condition - spalled bricks, crumbling mortar joints on the stack itself - is best replaced at the same time as the chimney is repointed or repaired, so access costs are not duplicated.

The Risk of a False Economy

A cheap repair on lead that should have been replaced is the most common way homeowners end up paying twice for the same job. The initial saving is real, but if the lead fails again within a year or two and the resulting water ingress causes damage to roof timbers, plasterwork, or ceilings, the total cost rises sharply. Where there is genuine doubt, it is worth asking a roofer to explain specifically why they are recommending repair over replacement, and what signs they are basing that on.

On the other hand, a roofer who automatically recommends full replacement on every job is not serving your interests either. Replacement uses more lead, takes more time, and costs accordingly. A clear-headed assessment of what the lead actually needs is the mark of a tradesperson giving you honest advice.

What Replacement Lead Work Involves

When a full replacement is needed, the old lead comes off entirely. Any damaged mortar in the joints it was chased into is raked out. The substrate - whether tiles, slates, or felt - is checked before the new lead goes in. New lead is cut to length, dressed to shape, fixed with clips or lead tacks, and pointed. Each piece should be no more than 1.5 metres long to allow for thermal movement. Upstands should be at least 75 millimetres high. All overlaps should be a minimum of 65 millimetres.

Correctly installed lead, fixed to the right Code, will typically last 50 to 80 years or more. That is why replacement, when it is genuinely needed, is almost always the more economical choice over time compared to repeated patching.

What Repair Lead Work Involves

A targeted repair means identifying the specific failure point, removing only the section that has failed, and making good. This might mean reflashing a single step flashing, re-pointing a section that has lost its mortar, or cutting out and patching a split. The lead used in the repair should match the Code of the surrounding material as closely as possible. Any new pointing should match the mortar mix of the existing joints.

Typical Costs

Repair work on a single flashing or a re-pointing job typically costs in the range of £150 to £350 depending on access and complexity. A full chimney re-flash - removing old lead and fitting new to all four sides of the stack - generally runs from £400 to £700 or more on larger stacks. Valley replacement costs depend on length and access but should be broken down in any quote you receive. These figures reflect typical current UK costs and will vary with the scope of the specific job.

Where We Work

We carry out lead work in Horsford and across the surrounding area from our base in North Walsham. We also cover jobs in Norwich, Lenwade, Marsham, Horning, Stalham, Martham, Rollesby, Mundesley, Trunch, Sheringham, and Overstrand. If your property is nearby, call us and we will confirm whether we cover your location.

If you are not sure whether your lead needs repair or replacement, call us to arrange a roof survey. We will come out, look at the lead in detail, and give you a straight answer on what we recommend and why - along with a clear price for the work.