From chimney flashings to valley lead and parapet gutters — here is what we cover.
Chimney Flashing Repair and Replacement
A standard chimney stack requires step flashings up each side, a back gutter or soakers behind, and a front apron flashing below. We repair or replace any failed element in isolation, or carry out a full re-lead of the entire stack. All lead is code 4 minimum, cut and dressed to BS 6915:2016, with proper expansion joints and securely wedged and pointed chases. One of the most common causes of ceiling staining in Staffordshire homes.
Step and Cover Flashings
Step flashings are the individual lead pieces that follow the steps of a slated or tiled roof up against a wall or chimney. Cover flashings lap over the top of the step flashings and are built into the brickwork chase. Both must be correctly sized and installed in sections no longer than 1.5m. We see many Staffordshire properties where a previous contractor has used a single piece of lead or a mortar fillet — both of which fail within years.
Valley Lead Replacement
Lead valleys carry a large volume of rainwater off a roof and must be correctly sized and formed. Code 5 lead is standard for valley applications. Cracked or split valley lead, lead that has been pulled upwards by thermal movement, or joins that have opened up are all causes of significant water ingress. We strip the tiles or slates either side, replace the valley lead in properly lapped sections, and re-dress the covering material correctly.
Apron and Soaker Flashings
Apron flashings waterproof the front face of a chimney stack or the low side of a roof abutment. Soakers are individual pieces of lead interlaced with each course of tiles or slates up an abutment. Both are often missing entirely on older properties — a cost-cutting measure that results in chronic damp. We install and replace apron flashings and soakers to the correct dimensions for your roof pitch and covering material.
Parapet Gutter Lead Lining
Parapet gutters on older Staffordshire properties are often lined with Code 5 or Code 6 lead. When this fails — through cracking at drips, open joints, or upstand failure — water can sit against the parapet wall and cause serious structural damp. We re-line parapet gutters to the correct falls and dimensions, with properly formed drips and upstands, in Code 5 or Code 6 lead as the application requires.
Flat Roof Lead Coverings
Lead is still used as a flat roof covering on bay tops, dormers, porches, and small outbuildings. It is an excellent material when installed correctly — Code 6 minimum, in bays no wider than 700mm and no longer than 1.5m, with proper drips and underlays. Old lead flat roofs that are cracking, lifting, or have developed pinholes can often be repaired; where the lead is at end of life, we carry out full re-leading to current specification.
Mortar Fillet Removal and Replacement
Mortar fillets — a wedge of sand and cement between roof covering and wall — are used instead of proper lead flashing as a cost-saving measure. They crack and fail, typically within 5 to 15 years, and often allow more water in than no flashing at all because the crack is hidden. We cut out failed mortar fillets, cut the required chases into the brickwork, and install proper lead flashings correctly. A permanent solution rather than a repeated repair bill.
Skylight and Velux Flashings
Rooflights and Velux windows rely on correctly installed flashing kits at their perimeter. Where these are incorrectly installed or have failed, water tracks down the reveal and into the ceiling. We repair and replace flashing kits around all rooflight types, using the manufacturer-approved kit for each window type to ensure the warranty and weathertightness of the installation is not compromised.
