If lead flashing on your Bungay property is lifting, cracking or letting water in, it is worth having it assessed by a roofer who works to traditional standards using code-appropriate sheet lead.
Lead has been used on roofs for centuries because nothing else matches it for durability, flexibility and the ability to form a watertight seal around complex shapes. When it is fitted correctly, by hand, using the right code of sheet lead for the application, it should outlast almost every other element of the roof. When it is fitted poorly or patched with sealant instead of being properly dressed, it fails quickly and lets water into the roof structure, ceilings and walls below.
Lead work on a domestic roof falls into several categories. Flashings are strips of lead dressed against a wall or chimney stack to stop water running down the joint between the roof covering and the masonry. Step and cover flashings protect chimneys on pitched roofs. Valley linings channel rainwater down the meeting point of two roof slopes. Soakers sit beneath slates or plain tiles at abutments to give a second line of defence. Each has its own correct method, and cutting corners on any of them causes leaks.
We carry out all of these: flashings, step flashings, cover flashings, valley linings, soakers and flat roof coverings in lead sheet. Every piece is cut and dressed on site to fit the specific geometry of your roof.
A common problem is thermal movement that has not been properly allowed for. Lead expands and contracts with temperature changes. If a flashing has been fixed in one long continuous piece without proper joints, or if it has been bonded in place with mastic rather than being mechanically fixed and free to move, it will split or pull away from the masonry over time.
Another frequent issue is lead that has been dressed too thin. Lead sheet is graded by code number, which indicates its thickness and weight per square metre. Code 3 or 4 is sometimes used in positions that require code 5 or 6. Thinner lead is lighter and cheaper to supply but it is far more prone to cracking through fatigue as it flexes with temperature changes.
Old lime mortar joints on chimneys also cause problems. The flashing is often tucked into the mortar joint (a process called pointing-in) and held there with fresh mortar. If the joint was already soft or the mortar mix was wrong when the job was done, the lead works loose. Water then tracks behind the flashing and into the chimney breast, which is one of the most common sources of internal damp in older properties.
Sealant and repair tape are used as a quick fix for failed flashings on many properties. They extend the life of a failing joint by a season or two at best, and they make the underlying problem harder to assess and harder to fix properly when the time comes. If you can see black sealant bead around your chimney or a wall abutment, it is a sign the lead below needs proper attention.
When you are having lead work done, or getting quotes for it, there are a few things worth understanding so you can judge what you are being offered.
A thorough job takes time. Stripping out the old flashing, preparing the substrate, cutting and dressing new lead by hand, fixing it correctly and then pointing up neatly is a half-day job on a single chimney stack at minimum. Any quote that implies otherwise should prompt questions.
Lead work costs in Suffolk and Norfolk typically fall in a range that reflects both the material cost and the skill required. Lead sheet is priced by weight and code, and the price of the metal fluctuates with commodity markets. At current market prices, code 5 lead sheet costs in the region of £30 to £40 per square metre for the material alone. Labour is on top of that, and most lead work on a chimney or single abutment is priced as a job rather than by the metre.
As a broad guide, re-flashing a standard chimney stack on a pitched slate or tile roof in the Bungay area costs in the region of £400 to £800, depending on the size of the chimney, the number of sides that need flashing, access, and the condition of the masonry and existing pointing. A simple step flashing repair or a single cover flashing can fall below that range. Complex chimneys with multiple offsets, or stacks that also need repointing or rebuilding, can push well above it.
Valley relining in lead is priced per metre of valley run. A typical detached house with a single valley might have 4 to 7 metres of valley to re-line. Lead valley relining in the region currently costs roughly £80 to £150 per linear metre all-in, though this varies with access, the complexity of the roof geometry, and what is found when the tiles or slates are stripped back.
Access. This is the single biggest variable on most jobs. A chimney stack on a single-storey extension is straightforward to reach from a short ladder. The same chimney on a two-storey or three-storey property requires a scaffold tower or a full scaffold, which adds cost. Always ask whether the quote includes access scaffolding or whether that is a separate cost.
The condition of what is found underneath. When old lead flashing is stripped off, the substrate below sometimes needs attention before new lead can go on. Common findings include rotten timber fillets (the triangular timber piece that supports the flashing upstand), crumbling mortar joints that need raking out and repointing, or damaged brickwork at chimney tops. If the chimney stack itself is in poor condition, cracked or leaning, it will need stabilising before the flashing work is done. Remedial work to the substrate is usually quoted as a separate item once the roof is open and the extent is visible.
The code and weight of lead specified. As noted above, heavier codes of lead cost more in materials. The difference between code 4 and code 6 on a full chimney re-flash is meaningful. Specifying the correct code rather than the cheapest available code is the right decision for longevity, but it does affect the price.
Chimney size and complexity. A small pot chimney on a terrace property might only need a simple cover and back flashing. A large stack with haunching, multiple flue pots, corbelling or decorative brickwork requires more time, more lead and more skill to dress correctly around the irregular geometry. These jobs take longer and are priced accordingly.
Removing failed sealant and repair products. If a previous contractor has applied heavy bead sealant or bitumen repair products around a flashing, stripping these off cleanly before new lead can be fitted properly takes extra time. In some cases the sealant has penetrated into mortar joints and the joint needs to be raked deeper than usual before it is fit to receive new mortar and lead.
Valley condition and what is beneath. If a valley re-line also reveals that the sarking felt beneath has deteriorated, or that there are broken or missing tiles that need to be replaced before the valley is re-covered, those additional materials and labour are added to the base valley cost.
The most effective way to keep lead work costs reasonable is to address it before it becomes an emergency. A loose or cracked flashing that is caught early can sometimes be re-dressed and re-pointed without being fully replaced. Once water has been getting in for a season or two, the damage to substrate timbers, the ceiling void and the plasterwork below turns a few hundred pounds of roofing work into a much larger remediation job.
Combining access. If scaffold is going up on your property for any reason - whether for chimney work, a re-tile, or another repair - having any additional lead work on the same roof inspected and attended to at the same time eliminates the scaffold cost for a second visit. Scaffold hire can add several hundred pounds to a job, so making full use of it while it is in place makes financial sense.
Avoiding unnecessary like-for-like replacement. Not all lead work needs a full strip and relay. If the lead itself is sound but the pointing has failed, re-pointing the flashing back into its chase can add years of serviceable life without the cost of new sheet lead. A roofer who tells you what state the existing lead is in and advises on whether to repair or replace is more useful than one who quotes for a full replacement on every job.
Lead sheet is also used to cover small flat or low-pitched roof areas such as bay window tops, flat roofs over porches, and similar small areas. On these applications, code 6 or 7 lead is typical. Flat lead roofs are expensive compared to other flat roof membranes but they are also extremely long-lasting when properly laid - the lead sheet itself can remain serviceable for many decades if the correct code is used and the roof is ventilated appropriately to prevent moisture building up from beneath.
On a flat lead roof, the lead panels must be laid in manageable bays with proper drips and rolls between them to allow for thermal movement. A flat lead roof laid in one unbroken sheet will buckle and split. Each bay needs to be of an appropriate size for the code of lead being used, with a fall sufficient to drain water away effectively. These are not arbitrary details - they are the difference between a roof that lasts and one that fails within a few years.
Lead work is a skilled trade in its own right. A general builder can plaster, lay blocks and fit windows, but dressing lead correctly around a chimney or forming a proper valley lining requires specific knowledge of lead behaviour, the correct tools and years of practical experience. Lead that has been worked incorrectly - over-dressed, under-lapped, or joined incorrectly - will fail. The outward appearance of a freshly laid flashing tells you very little; the details that determine whether it lasts are mostly invisible once the job is done.
When you are asking for quotes, look for roofers who can tell you the code of lead they intend to use, how they will handle expansion, and what the mortar mix will be for the pointing. If those questions draw a blank or a dismissive answer, that tells you something about the likely quality of the work.
Norwich Roofers carries out lead work across the area around Bungay and throughout Norfolk and Suffolk, including in Norwich and towns and villages across the county. If you have a lead flashing that is leaking or showing signs of movement, call us to arrange a roof survey so we can assess what is needed and give you a clear account of the work involved before anything is agreed.
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