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Lead Work & Lead Flashing in Loughborough β Watertight Roof Joints, Done Right
- Free Drone Survey
- BS EN 12588 Lead
- 50-Year Lifespan
Free Lead Flashing Survey - No Obligation
Watertight roof joints, done right.
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Lead work and lead flashing in Loughborough seals the joints where your roof meets walls, chimneys, and valleys. We repair, rebed, and replace failing lead across Charnwood and the Soar Valley. Most jobs start with a free drone survey, so you see the real fault first. As your local roofing contractor, a named team stays responsible from survey to finish. Whether itβs a slow damp patch spreading across a bedroom ceiling or lead thatβs lifted after a winter storm, we get the junction watertight and keep it that way.
What Is Lead Flashing, and Why Does Your Roof Depend On It?
Lead flashing is a shaped strip of rolled lead that waterproofs the joints where your roof meets something else β a chimney, a wall, a dormer, or a valley. Tiles and slates shed water down the slope, but at these junctions water tries to track sideways or sit against the brickwork. Flashing is the barrier that stops it getting in.
Get it right and you never think about it. Get it wrong β or let it perish with age β and you're looking at damp walls, rotten roof timbers, and staining that keeps coming back. Lead has been the trusted choice on Loughborough roofs for generations because it lasts, it flexes with the weather, and it can be dressed around almost any shape.
The Types of Lead Flashing We Fit Across Loughborough
"Leadwork" covers far more than one detail. Knowing which part has failed is half the job, and it's exactly what our drone survey pins down. Here's what we install and repair:
- Step flashing β the stepped lead that runs up the side of a chimney or where a pitched roof meets a wall.
- Apron (cover) flashing β the front piece at the base of a chimney or roof window that hangs down over the tiles.
- Back gutter (back tray) β sits behind the chimney on the uphill slope and handles the most water on the whole stack, our most common storm-leak call-out.
- Lead soakers β small hidden pieces tucked under each tile at a wall or chimney.
- Lead valleys β the channel where two roof slopes meet and shed a large volume of water.
- Cavity trays and counter flashing β built into the masonry to catch water inside the wall and direct it back out.
Lead sits at every one of your roof's weak points: chimneys, abutment walls, valleys, dormers, and bay windows.
Signs Your Lead Flashing Is Failing
Lead fails at the joints long before you notice it from the ground. Inside your Loughborough home, the first signs usually show on ceilings and walls. Watch for:
- Damp patches near a chimney breast or wall
- White streaks running down the tiles below the lead
- Lifting, rippled, or cracked lead at junctions
- Loose mortar where lead meets brickwork
- A musty smell or staining in the loft after heavy rain
- Lead that's slipped, torn, or gone missing entirely after a storm
We inspect each junction by drone, so nothing gets missed. Winter storms off Beacon Hill drive rain behind worn lead fast β catching it early keeps a small fix from becoming a soaked ceiling and a much bigger bill.
Repair or Replace? Our Honest Assessment
Not every fault needs new leadwork. We match the fix to the damage, not to a sales target.
A repair suits your Sileby terrace when:
- The lead is sound but has slipped or lifted
- Mortar has cracked and needs raking out and rebedding
- One short section has split
Full replacement makes sense when:
- Lead is split in several places
- The wrong code was fitted first time
- It has been patched again and again
- The chimney or wall has shifted
We tell you which path we would take and why. No pressure, no scare tactics β just a clear picture of your roof and a fixed price to match.
How Long Does Lead Flashing Last?
Well-fitted lead flashing lasts 50 years or more. Poor fixing, the wrong lead code, or an exposed spot cuts that short. A drone survey shows whether a repair or a full replacement fits your roof.
Lead Work for Heritage & Conservation Properties in Charnwood
Many homes near Loughborough sit in conservation areas or carry listed status. Quorn, Woodhouse Eaves, and Rothley are full of period and character properties where the wrong repair can do real damage β and even land you in trouble with the council.
On these roofs we match the original lead code, profile, and detailing. Listed status or an Article 4 direction can require like-for-like lead, and we flag any consent you need before work starts. On older chimney stacks we point with lime mortar, not hard modern cement, so the brickwork and lead can breathe and move the way they were built to. That knowledge keeps your project on the right side of the rules.
How We Install & Rebed Lead Flashing
Good lead work is about detail, not speed. We use rolled lead sheet to BS EN 12588, and we cut the right code for each part of the job:
- Code 3 for soakers and protected details
- Code 4 for most chimney flashings, aprons, step flashing, and abutments
- Code 5 for valleys, parapet gutters, and exposed or high-flow areas
We dress and boss the lead by hand, chase it into the mortar joint, and fix it with lead wedges and clips. Corners, outlets, and back gutters are lead-welded where a mechanical joint won't hold. Joints overlap by at least 100mm to block water creep, and we keep each piece under 1.5 metres so the lead can expand and contract
without splitting. A final coat of patination oil stops white staining. Done this way, the detail lasts decades, not a couple of winters.
Lead Flashing Maintenance β Stop Leaks Before They Start
Small checks now save big bills later. We help Loughborough owners stay ahead of leaks. Our maintenance visits cover:
- Clearing debris and moss off lead and valleys
- Resealing weak laps and fixings
- Reapplying patination oil where needed
- Checking mortar joints, back gutters, and soakers on exposed stacks
Around The Outwoods, damp and shade let moss build up fast on lead. A quick yearly look β often part of our free drone survey β catches the small stuff while it's still cheap to fix.
Areas We Work Around Loughborough & Leicestershire
Our Loughborough office covers the full LE11 and LE12 postcode area, plus the Charnwood and Soar Valley villages. If you're in any of these, we're already on your patch:
- Loughborough (LE11) β our home base, town centre to the university campus
- Shepshed (LE12 9) β emergency lead repairs and commercial flashing
- Quorn / Quorndon (LE12 8) β heritage and conservation-area leadwork
- Barrow-upon-Soar (LE12 8) β re-roofs, valley and abutment lead
- Hathern (LE12 5) β flashing repairs and roof tiling
- Woodhouse Eaves (LE12 8) β period stone properties, lead and slate
- Mountsorrel (LE12 7) β storm damage and chimney flashing
- Sileby (LE12 7) β Victorian terraces, step flashing and rebedding
- Rothley (LE7 7) β high-spec lead valleys and flat detailing
- Syston (LE7 1 / LE7 2) β commercial and residential leadwork
- East Leake (LE12 6) β new build and maintenance leadwork
Not sure we cover your postcode? Call 01509 277099 and we'll confirm straight away.
Got Questions?
Lead Work & Lead Flashing in Loughborough β Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if my lead flashing needs replacing?
Look for damp patches near chimneys or walls, cracked or lifted lead, loose mortar, and white streaks on the tiles below. These point to failing flashing, and a drone survey confirms whether a repair or replacement is the right call.
What does lead flashing repair cost around Loughborough?
It depends on access, scaffolding, and how much lead is involved. A localised repair is a modest job, while a full chimney re-lead with scaffolding costs more. We give you a fixed, itemised price after a free drone survey β never a vague guess over the phone.
Can lead flashing be repaired, or does it need full replacement?
Often just one section needs attention. We rebed or patch what is sound and renew only what has failed β replacement makes sense once lead has split in several places or been patched too many times.
Can you just seal lead flashing with silicone?
No, not as a lasting fix. Silicone cracks within a year and hides the real fault. Reworked and rebedded lead holds up far longer.
Are lead soakers enough, or do I still need flashing?
You need both. Soakers sit hidden under each tile at a wall, and the step or cover flashing seals the joint above them. Without the flashing, water runs straight behind the soakers.
Why are white streaks running down my tiles?
Untreated lead forms a white carbonate that rain washes onto your tiles and brick. We clean it off and apply patination oil to stop it returning.
How often should lead flashing be inspected?
Once a year is sensible, plus a check after any major storm. Most faults start small and stay cheap to fix if you catch them early β our free drone survey makes that easy.
Do I need permission to replace lead on a listed or conservation-area home?
Possibly. Listed status or an Article 4 direction can require like-for-like lead and prior consent, which is common in Quorn and Woodhouse Eaves. We check the rules and flag any consent before we lift a single tile.
Should I switch to lead-free flashing to avoid theft?
It depends on your property. Lead-free options cut theft risk on exposed roofs, but conservation areas often require real lead. We advise on both and check the rules first.
Book Your Free Drone Roof Survey in Loughborough
See exactly where your lead stands before you spend a penny. We cover Loughborough, Shepshed, Quorn, Barrow-upon-Soar, and the wider Charnwood and Soar Valley area. Book your free, no-obligation drone survey today and get a clear, honest assessment with a fixed price and no surprises.
π Call now on 01509 277099
Get in Touch
Tate & Sons Roofing β Loughborough Office
5 Middleton Place, Loughborough LE11 2BY
π 01509 277099
βοΈ [email protected]