Chimney & Leadwork

Many roof leaks start not in the tiles but at the junctions: where a chimney meets the roof, where a roof meets a wall, and in valleys between two slopes. We repair the masonry and the leadwork that seals these junctions.

• Chimney repointing and related masonry
• Lead flashing around chimneys
• Soakers and step flashing against walls
• Lead valleys repaired or renewed

Finding the Cause

• Damp on a chimney breast inside the house can come from failed flashing, porous or cracked mortar, or rain entering the top of the stack.
• Cracked or missing mortar is visible from the ground on most chimneys; lifted or split lead often is too.
• Damp that appears only in heavy, wind-driven rain often points to the masonry; a leak in any steady rain points more to the flashing.
• Leaks in valleys usually come from split lead, debris build-up or slipped tiles at the valley edges.

How the Work Is Done

• Repointing: loose and crumbling mortar is raked out and the joints are refilled with new mortar.
• Flashing: lead is dressed back, refixed into the mortar joints and sealed, or renewed where split.
• Soakers: individual pieces of lead under each tile course are replaced where they have failed.
• Valleys: split or worn lead is replaced and the tiles along the edges are rebedded.

Repair or Replace?

Small areas of failed mortar or lifted flashing can usually be repaired. If the lead is split in several places or the stack is widely eroded, renewing the flashing or repointing the whole stack is usually better value than patching.

What Happens Next

1. Tell us about the problem by phone, WhatsApp or our quote form, with photos if you have them.
2. We look at the roof or guttering and explain what we found.
3. You receive a written quote setting out the scope, materials, access and exclusions.
4. Access, often scaffolding around the stack, is arranged before work begins, weather permitting.