Diss Roofers handles lead work in Eye and the surrounding area, from chimney flashings and valley linings to soakers and lead flat roofs - and we can advise you on how to keep that work in good order for years to come.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Lead is used wherever a roof surface meets a vertical structure - chimney stacks, dormers, party walls, parapet walls and abutments. The main items are step flashings cut into mortar joints, cover flashings that lap over the step flashings, apron flashings at the base of chimney stacks, soakers tucked beneath individual slates or tiles, valley linings where two roof slopes meet, and lead coverings on flat sections such as bay window roofs and porch roofs.
Lead is the traditional choice for these applications because it is soft enough to dress tightly to irregular surfaces, it does not corrode under normal conditions, and a correctly installed lead detail will typically remain watertight for several decades. The key phrase is correctly installed - lead that has been fixed in sections that are too long, specified at too low a code, or not properly clipped will fail early and allow water into the roof structure.
Most lead work, once properly installed, needs very little intervention. But a small amount of routine attention will extend its life considerably and catch small problems before they become large ones. These are practical steps any homeowner can carry out or arrange without needing a roofer on site.
The most common cause of accelerated lead deterioration is debris sitting against the lead surface. Moss, wet leaves and dirt trap moisture and hold it in contact with the lead far longer than rain alone. This is particularly relevant at valley linings, which collect everything that comes off both roof slopes. Clear debris from valleys in autumn and spring - use a long-handled soft brush or arrange for a roofer to clear it during any other roof visit.
At chimney flashings, check that the gap between the flashing and the brickwork is not filling with moss or debris. A blocked weep point at the base of a flashing can cause water to pond behind it rather than drain off.
Lead step and cover flashings are secured into raked mortar joints in brickwork. The pointing that holds them in place is ordinary mortar, which can crack and fall away over time - especially if frost has got into it. Once the pointing goes, the lead starts to lift slightly with each temperature change, and water gets in behind it. Inspecting from ground level with binoculars in autumn will let you spot gaps or missing mortar before they cause internal water damage.
If the pointing is intact but the lead itself has lifted slightly away from the wall, that is usually a sign that the lead clips have worked loose or were not fitted when the job was done. This needs a roofer to fix - but catching it early means it is a straightforward job rather than a strip-and-relay.
A white powdery deposit on lead is lead carbonate, which forms naturally when lead is exposed to rain and carbon dioxide. A fine patina of it is normal and actually protects the surface. Heavy white run-off staining on tiles or brickwork below a flashing, however, can indicate that the lead is being washed more than it should be - sometimes caused by a section that has lifted and is directing water over its surface rather than behind it. It is worth getting this looked at before the staining becomes structural.
Liquid sealants and bitumen paints are sometimes used on lead flashings as a maintenance measure. They are not. They reduce the natural movement of the lead, can crack and lift rather than stretching with the material, and once they start to delaminate they trap water behind the sealant layer. If you have had a sealant applied to your flashings in the past, ask a roofer to check how well it is adhering at the next opportunity. Sealants used on genuinely cracked lead are a temporary measure, not a substitute for relaying.
Blocked gutters cause water to back up under the lower edge of valley lead and apron flashings. Lead at these edges is typically tucked into or over the guttering, and if water cannot drain it sits against the underside of the lead and against the timber fascia behind it. Clear gutters in autumn and check that the downpipes are flowing freely.
Frost drives water into small cracks in pointing and then expands it. A hard frost can pop out the mortar holding a flashing into a joint overnight. After a sharp frost in late autumn or winter, a quick check from ground level is worthwhile. Mortar that has fallen out should be raked clean and repointed before the next rain gets in.
Lead soakers are individual pieces of lead cut to fit beneath each course of slates or tiles at a wall junction. They sit under the tiles and direct water away from the gap. They are not visible once the tiles are relaid. If your property has a chimney or a wall abutment and the only lead you can see is the step flashing visible from outside, soakers should be present underneath. If a previous contractor relaid the flashing without disturbing the tiles, it is possible they did not check - or did not replace - the soakers. A proper flashing job lifts the adjacent tile courses and inspects or replaces the soakers before relaying.
Some signs warrant a call straight away rather than waiting for your next scheduled check:
These are not things to monitor - each one of them will worsen with the next rain and the damage to the timber structure underneath accumulates quickly.
A chimney flashing set (step, cover and apron) in the Eye area typically costs between £300 and £700 depending on the chimney size and whether scaffold is needed. Valley linings usually run from £80 to £150 per linear metre. Lead flat roof coverings on bays or porches typically cost between £100 and £180 per square metre. These are the current typical ranges for this part of Norfolk and Suffolk.
Diss Roofers works across Eye and into the surrounding area, including Diss, Scole, Roydon, Hopton, Bacton, Pulham St Mary and nearby villages. If your lead work needs attention, call us to arrange a roof survey and we will tell you exactly what needs doing and why.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
