Failing lead flashings around chimneys, dormers, and flat roof abutments are one of the most common causes of roof leaks in Cambridge. We cut and dress lead to the correct Code specification for a watertight, long-lasting finish. Poorly installed lead work is a false economy — it needs doing properly once.
Image: local lead work
Lead work is the lead sheet used to weatherproof the joints where your roof meets a vertical surface — around chimneys, dormers, bay windows, skylights, and where a sloping roof meets a wall. When lead fails, water tracks into the roof space or directly down internal walls, often without an obvious external sign until significant damage has been done. In Cambridge, where we see a mix of Victorian slate roofs, clay plain tile roofs, and more recent concrete tile properties, lead flashings are on almost every building.
Good lead work means cutting and shaping the correct Code of lead — Code 4 for most flashings, Code 5 for wide valleys and flat abutments — and dressing it properly into the mortar joints of the brickwork using lead wedges and pointing. Step flashings on chimney stacks are cut individually to follow each course of brick. Valley lead is dressed into the valley boards and dressed out wide enough to carry the water load. We do not use roof sealant or flashing tape as a substitute for correctly installed lead — these products fail within a few years and mask the underlying problem.
Lead work carried out to the correct specification will typically last 50 to 70 years. Cutting corners with thin lead or improper dressing is a false economy that leads to repeated repair bills. A professional roofer working with lead will also check the surrounding tiles and roof structure while the area is accessible.
We inspect the failed lead, strip out the old material, and replace with correctly coded lead sheet, pointed and secured properly. Most lead flashing repairs around a single chimney in Cambridge take half a day to a full day. Lead flashing replacement around a standard chimney stack in Cambridge typically costs £300–£600 depending on the number of faces and the extent of the work.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge — we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
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