If you need lead flashing, valleys or soakers repaired or replaced in Mildenhall, choosing the right roofer is the single most important decision you will make.
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Lead is used on roofs wherever two surfaces meet and water needs to be directed away: around chimneys, along the joins between a roof slope and a wall (flashings), in valleys where two roof planes meet, and under individual tiles as soakers. When lead work is done well and dressed properly by hand, it can last 50 to 80 years. When it is done badly, it fails within a few seasons and the water damage that follows is always more expensive than the original job.
Lead sheet used in roofing should meet BS EN 12588, which sets the standard for milled lead sheet used in building. The grade (or code) of lead matters: the heavier the code, the thicker the sheet and the longer it lasts. Code 3 is the minimum for most soaker work; Code 4 or Code 5 is typical for flashings and valleys. A contractor who cannot tell you which code they are using is not someone you should hire.
Poorly fitted lead work fails in predictable ways. The most frequent cause is step flashings or cover flashings that have not been properly fixed into the mortar joints of a chimney or wall. Over time the mortar around the lead tacks or clips cracks, the flashing lifts, and water runs straight down the back of the chimney or parapet wall.
A second common problem is lead that has been dressed in a single continuous sheet over too long a run. Lead expands and contracts with temperature changes far more than most other roofing materials. If the sheet is too long, it buckles, cracks and eventually splits - a failure called fatigue cracking. Correctly fitted lead is dressed in sections, each no longer than the recommended maximum for that code, with proper drips and rolls to allow movement. This is basic craft knowledge; not every roofer who offers lead work actually has it.
Bitumen sealants painted over old lead are a short-term patch. They do not bond permanently and they mask the real problem rather than fixing it. If a roofer's first suggestion is to seal over existing lead rather than address why it has failed, ask more questions before agreeing to anything.
Lead work is a skilled craft, and not every general roofer is equally experienced with it. Here are the questions worth asking before you sign anything or hand over a deposit.
Lead work is not the cheapest roofing repair, and it should not be. The material itself is expensive: lead sheet currently costs in the region of £30 to £50 per square metre depending on code and supplier pricing at the time. A straightforward chimney flashing replacement on a typical semi-detached house - front apron, two step flashings and a back gutter - might cost between £350 and £800 depending on access, the complexity of the chimney and how much mortar raking and repointing is needed alongside. A full valley replacement on a larger roof can run to £600 to £1,200 or more.
Be cautious of quotes that seem significantly lower than this range. Cheap lead work usually means thinner sheet than the job requires, shorter sections dressed as one piece, or no proper chase-and-point fixing into the wall. You will pay for it again sooner than you should.
Lead behaves differently from almost every other roofing material. It is soft and malleable, which is exactly what makes it ideal for complex shapes - but it also means it requires a roofer who understands how to dress it without thinning it at the bends, how to form a proper drip without cracking the sheet, and how to create a weathertight seal at the wall without relying on sealant as a substitute for good fitting. These are skills that come from practice, not from reading a brochure.
We carry out lead flashing, valley and soaker work across Mildenhall and the surrounding area, working from our base in Bury St Edmunds. When comparing contractors, check that the lead sheet meets BS EN 12588 and ask whether the work is hand-dressed using traditional techniques. If you want your roof looked at, ask any roofer for a survey and a straight assessment of what needs doing and why.
Getting two or three quotes is sensible for any significant roof repair. But price alone is a poor guide. Watch out for these warning signs regardless of who you speak to:
A roofer who is confident in their work will answer all of these questions clearly and without hesitation. One who cannot should not be on your roof.
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