Getting your leadwork repaired or replaced is only half the job - knowing how to look after it afterwards is what keeps the roof in good order for North Tuddenham homeowners for years to come.
Lead flashings sit at every point where water could enter if left unsealed: around chimney stacks, along dormer edges, over bay window roofs, in roof valleys, and against parapet walls. They are shaped and dressed by hand to follow the profile of the masonry and tiles precisely. When fitted to the correct code thickness and fixed with lead wedges into proper mortar chases, a lead flashing creates a seal that can last for many decades.
The material itself is remarkably durable. Code 4 and Code 5 lead, used on most residential properties, has a realistic service life measured in decades when it is installed correctly and given basic attention over the years. The problem is that most homeowners have no way of seeing flashings clearly from ground level, so gradual deterioration goes unnoticed until water appears on a ceiling.
Understanding how leadwork fails is the first step to knowing what to look for. Thermal movement is the biggest factor: lead expands and contracts significantly between summer and winter, and if the fixing does not allow for that movement, or if sections are cut too long, the lead cracks at stress points over time. Mortar chase erosion is another common cause - the top edge of a flashing sits in a cut channel in the masonry, and if the mortar pointing that holds it there degrades, water gets behind the lead even when the lead itself is undamaged.
Poorly fitted leadwork - too short, wrong code, or fixed with mortar alone instead of lead wedges - will fail long before its time. A common problem on older properties is lead that was originally correct but has never been inspected, so small issues that could have been caught early have progressed into full leaks.
Good leadwork does not need much from you, but a small amount of regular attention prevents the kind of gradual deterioration that turns a minor problem into a major repair bill. The maintenance tasks described here are all things a homeowner can check from the ground or from a first-floor window, without going onto the roof.
A blocked gutter forces water to back up and sit against the base of a flashing for extended periods. Lead is not damaged by water contact, but standing water combined with debris can gradually undermine the mortar pointing around the base of a chimney flashing or the bottom edge of an apron. Clear gutters at least once a year, and more often if there are trees nearby. If you have a lead valley, debris collecting in it can cause water to pond rather than run off - this is worth checking after autumn leaf fall.
After a period of heavy rain or strong wind, take a few minutes to look at your chimney and any dormers from the ground using binoculars if you have them. You are looking for lead that appears to have lifted away from the masonry at the top edge, or sections that look buckled or displaced. Any visible gap between the top of the flashing and the brickwork is worth getting a roofer to look at before the next bout of wet weather.
A leadwork failure does not always produce an obvious drip. Water can track along a rafter or ceiling joist and appear some distance from the actual entry point. After prolonged rain, check ceilings beneath chimneys, dormers, and bay windows for damp patches, discolouration, or a musty smell in the room. Catching a water entry early, before it saturates insulation or causes timber decay, saves considerable money and disruption.
A common DIY attempt to stop a leadwork leak is to apply bitumen paint, roofing sealant, or a self-adhesive repair tape over the flashing. These materials will slow an obvious drip temporarily, but they degrade within a few years and make the underlying problem harder to assess. They also trap moisture against the lead and the masonry, which can accelerate both the lead fatigue and any mortar erosion. If you have had a previous owner apply this kind of product, let a roofer know before they start work - it affects how they approach the job.
Lead flashings and chimney mortar are two separate things, but they are closely connected. Eroding chimney pointing allows water to soak into the brickwork and then down behind flashings that might otherwise be perfectly sound. Chimney pointing can be checked from the ground: look for crumbling or absent mortar between the bricks, or between the chimney pot and the haunching at the top. Re-pointing a chimney is a different job from leadwork but often makes sense to do at the same visit.
If you have a chimney that is no longer used, the flue should be capped or ventilated to prevent condensation building up inside the stack. Unused chimneys with open flues accumulate moisture from inside as well as outside, which can degrade both the internal mortar and the external flashings more quickly. If you have recently started using a wood burner in a previously unused chimney, it is worth having the leadwork checked - the thermal changes and any work done to line the flue can disturb existing flashings.
If you ask a roofer to check your leadwork as part of a general roof inspection, they should be able to tell you the approximate age and condition of the lead, which code appears to have been used, whether the mortar chases are intact, and whether the lead is wedged or mortar-only fixed. They should be able to show you photographs of anything they cannot easily describe from the ground. A roofer who simply says "it looks fine" without being specific about what they checked is not giving you much to go on.
Some things should not wait for an annual inspection. Call a roofer promptly if you see a stain appearing on a ceiling beneath a chimney or dormer, if you can see from the ground that a flashing is clearly lifted or displaced, or if you notice daylight in the loft space near a chimney. Water ingress through a leadwork failure causes timber decay and wet rot in roof members if left untreated, and the repair cost rises significantly once the structure is involved.
Routine leadwork repairs - re-pointing a chase, re-wedging a displaced flashing - typically cost between £150 and £350 depending on access and how much of the lead is involved. Full chimney leadwork replacement ranges from around £350 to £800 for a standard residential chimney stack. Valley replacement starts from around £400 for a short run. Access costs vary depending on whether a ladder, a tower scaffold, or a full scaffold is needed.
We carry out lead flashing repairs and replacements for homeowners in North Tuddenham and the villages nearby. If you want a roofer to inspect your leadwork and tell you honestly what condition it is in, call us to arrange a roof survey. We will explain what we find, what we recommend, and why - before any work is agreed.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
