Expert Leadwork And Flashing in Launceston, Cornwall

In a coastal city like Plymouth, our weather doesn't mess about. We get heavy rain and high winds that can force water into the tiniest gaps. Lead is the traditional, time-tested material used to bridge these gaps. It’s flexible enough to move with your house as it warms up and cools down, but tough enough to last fifty years or more. If your flashing is cracked or pulled away, you'll likely see water ingress inside your home, often appearing as damp patches on ceilings or walls near the chimney.

You don’t always need to climb a ladder to spot a problem. Keep an eye out for "white staining" on your bricks—this can sometimes be a sign of lead oxidising or water running where it shouldn't. If you see pieces of grey metal sitting in your guttering or notice a gap where the metal meets the brickwork, it’s time to call me. Catching these small issues early prevents the timber underneath from rotting, which saves you a lot of money in the long run.

These are two traditional techniques I use to shape lead around the awkward corners of your roof. Lead bossing involves skillfully hammering the cold sheet lead into shape without thinning it out too much. Lead welding (often called lead burning) is a process where I use a torch to join two pieces of lead together. Both require a steady hand and years of experience. Whether it’s a complex chimney back-gutter or a simple piece of step flashing, I use the method that provides the strongest, most watertight finish for your specific roof.

Yes, roof valleys—the "V" shaped channels where two roof slopes meet—are a common area for leaks. If these are lined with lead, they can eventually crack or get blocked with debris. I can strip out the old, failed material and install new, high-code lead to make sure the water flows safely into your gutters. I also specialise in step flashing, which is the "staircase" look of lead pieces you see on the side of chimneys or walls. If these aren't tucked into the mortar joints correctly, water will find its way in.

Sometimes a leak near a chimney isn't just the lead. It could be that the mortar has perished or the chimney pot is cracked. When I come to give you a quote, I look at the whole picture. I can handle the re-pointing of the chimney stack as well as the leadwork. Dealing with one person for the whole job makes the process much simpler and keeps the costs down.