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Brick chimney on a tiled roof with new lead flashing dressed around its base

Lead work · Northwich & Cheshire

Lead work, flashing and chimney flaunching in Northwich

Wherever a roof meets a wall, a chimney or another slope, it relies on lead or mortar to keep the water out. When that detail fails, leaks appear even though the tiles themselves are fine. D Osborne Roofing renews lead flashings, soakers and valleys and re-flaunches chimney crowns across Northwich and Cheshire.

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Code 4 & 5
Common lead weights for flashings and valleys
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17+
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Flashings, soakers and abutments

Where a pitched roof meets a vertical wall or chimney, lead is dressed over the junction and tucked into a mortar joint above. On tiled roofs this is often step flashing, cut to follow the courses, with soakers slipped under each tile. On an extension or dormer the same principle applies along the abutment, and a poorly dressed length there is a common cause of leaks.

  • Step and cover flashings at chimneys and gable walls
  • Soakers interleaved with slates and plain tiles
  • Apron flashings below chimneys and dormer fronts
  • Abutment flashings where extensions meet the house

Chimney flaunching explained

Flaunching is the sloped mortar cap on top of a chimney stack that holds the pots in place and sheds rain away from them. Being flat-topped and exposed, it cracks with frost and age, letting water into the stack and loosening the pots. Old flaunching is chopped out and replaced with a fresh, well-sloped mortar bed so the pots are secure again.

  • Cracked or crumbling mortar around chimney pots
  • Loose or rocking pots bedded back in firmly
  • Fresh flaunching shaped to shed water
  • Checked at the same time as the flashing lower down the stack

Why lead fails, and valleys

Lead expands and contracts with every change in temperature, so pieces laid too long split along their length and thin lead tears early. Other failures come from flashings that were only sealed with mastic, clips left out so wind lifts the lead, or theft from low roofs. Valleys lined in lead suffer the same problems and, being where two slopes drain together, leak heavily when they go.

  • Lengths kept short enough to allow for thermal movement
  • The right code of lead for the detail
  • Wedged into the joint and clipped, not relying on sealant
  • Lead valleys relined where splits or thinning appear

Why homeowners choose D Osborne Roofing

  • Customers in CW8 and CW9 describe leaks being properly assessed before any work, with the best fix confirmed first.
  • Duncan explains why the lead or flaunching has failed, not just what he's replacing.
  • Lead work and flaunching are carried out alongside chimney and roof repairs, so one visit can cover the whole junction.

How the job runs

  1. 01

    Check every junction

    The chimney crown, flashings, soakers and any valleys are examined together, as faults often sit side by side.

  2. 02

    Strip out failed material

    Split lead, perished sealant and cracked flaunching are removed back to sound brickwork and roof covering.

  3. 03

    Cut, dress and fix

    New lead is cut to suitable lengths, dressed to the roof and wall, wedged into the joints and clipped.

  4. 04

    Point in and weather-test

    Joints are pointed, the flaunching is finished to a fall and the junction is checked to make sure it sheds water.

Common questions

Is a sealant or tape a good enough fix for leaking lead?

It can buy time, but it isn't a lasting repair. Sealants harden and crack with the same movement that split the lead, and they can trap water behind them. Renewing the failed length properly is usually the better use of money.

How do I know if my chimney flaunching needs replacing?

Signs include visible cracks or missing chunks around the pots, a pot that looks tilted, bits of mortar in the gutter and damp showing on a chimney breast upstairs. Binoculars from the garden will often show the cracking.

What can be done if lead has been stolen from my roof?

The first job is to make the roof watertight so no more water gets in. The missing flashing or valley lining is then replaced, and on low or easily reached roofs it's worth discussing the options for the replacement detail.

Related services and areas

All roofing servicesChimney repairs and removalsRoof repairsRe-roofingRoofing in WarringtonAsk about lead work

Need lead work & flaunching?

Free, no-obligation quotes from a Northwich roofer with over 17 years in the trade.

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