Lead flashing repairs and replacement

Signs your flashing has failed

• A damp patch on a ceiling or wall directly below where the roof meets brickwork.
• Lead lifting away from the wall, lifting in the wind or sitting proud of the tiles.
• Cracked or missing pointing along the top edge of the flashing.
• Splits running across the lead, often midway along an overlong piece.
• Sealant, mastic or self-adhesive flashing tape smeared over the joint, a sure sign it has been patched before.

How we fix flashing properly

We start by finding out why it failed, because copying a detail that was wrong to begin with just resets the clock. Then:

1. Strip back the old flashing, sealant and loose pointing and check the soakers or upstand beneath.
2. Rake out the joint in the brickwork so the new lead can be turned in about 25 mm.
3. Cut and form new lead, usually Code 4, in lengths of no more than 1.5 metres, lapped at least 100 mm at each joint.
4. Fix with lead wedges and repoint the joint, then dress the lead tight to the tiles or slates.
5. Apply patination oil and photograph the finished detail for you.

Step flashing, cover flashing and soakers

Where a pitched roof runs up a wall, the lead is cut in a stepped profile that follows the brick courses, with each step turned into a mortar joint. On slate and plain tile roofs that step flashing sits over soakers, small pieces of Code 3 lead interleaved with each course. On interlocking tiles, a single step-and-cover flashing is dressed over the tile profile instead.

Where a flat roof meets a wall, a cover flashing laps down over the upstand of the roof covering so water runs off it, not in behind it. The same principle applies at dormer cheeks, extension roofs and bay windows. If your flashing has failed at a chimney, see chimney leadwork; if the problem is where two roof slopes meet, it's a lead valley.

What affects the cost

Flashing jobs range from an hour's re-dressing to a full day on scaffold. The main factors are the length of flashing, whether soakers need renewing too, access (ladder, roof ladder or scaffold) and the condition of the brickwork the lead is fixed into. After a free inspection we'll show you photos of the problem and give you a written quote.

Small detail, big consequences

Flashing is small work that prevents big damage and it's where corners get cut. We don't use sealant as a fix, we don't use flashing tape on anything we expect to last and we don't leave lead in lengths that will split within a few summers.