Lead Roofs and Lead Flashing

Lead roofing is one of the most popular and durable roofing materials available today. Lead has been used for centuries as a reliable, long-lasting material that can withstand harsh weather conditions and last for decades. You'll see it on church roofs and steeples and areas that are usually vulnerable to the elements, such as our damp and cold weather (as well as the hotter summer weather we're experiencing nowadays).

Is lead roofing cheap?

Lead roofing is unfortunately one of the most expensive types of roof coverings. However, your initial investment will be money well spent when you discover that very little maintenance will be needed over time, this is due to its durability.

Lead roofing provides many benefits that make it an attractive option for property owners  who are looking to replace, mend or upgrade their roofs.

In this article, we’ll discuss why lead is such a great choice for your roof, what parts of the roof should be covered with lead, and why lead is often used on listed buildings in the UK.

Lead has several advantages over other types of metal when it comes to using it as a roofing material. One advantage is its malleability — because lead can be bent without breaking or cracking, although a roofing skill is needed, it's easy to shape into different shapes and sizes in order to fit any type of building structure accurately. This makes installation quick and simple compared with other metals like steel or aluminium which require more labour intensive cutting or welding during the installation process.

Additionally, since lead has a high melting point (327°C), it can withstand extreme temperatures without warping or degrading like some other metals do when exposed to intense heat sources such as direct sunlight or fire.

Furthermore, lead is non-combustible and does not corrode easily, making it highly resistant to the elements and strong for its weight.

Lead roofing can be used on any part of the roof that needs protection from rain (and therefore water damage). The most common areas where lead is applied are valleys (the angle between two slopes of a roof), hips (the angled edges at the corners of roofs), gutters, eaves, and flashings around chimneys and other protrusions on the roof.

Lead is also commonly used as a flashing material in order to protect any area where leaks could occur such as joints between rafters or around windows and doors.

For advice on lead roofing, call our lead roofers in Hertfordshire

What is lead flashing?

Lead flashings are an integral part of a roof that prevents water from penetrating the building's structure via joints. Lead flashings are sheets of lead (or sometimes flashings are created using copper or aluminium) that are a way of decreasing potential water penetration at joints in your roof such as chimneys, vent pipes, walls that abut roofs and window and door openings.

Can you paint a lead roof?

Yes, you can paint a lead roof, but we wouldn't recommend it. Lead expands and contracts a great deal with different temperatures, which means that painting over the lead is not the best long-term solution.

Over time, as thermal movement takes place, cracks will begin to appear in the paintwork which is doesn't look very nice. Not only that, as the lead flashing oxidises, paint will not adhere well to the oxidisation layers (which looks like white powder) forming underneath. 

Many properties do have painted lead flashings, with homeowners keen on painting over the material despite the warnings. Some even paint the entire roof canopy (this is not advised though for the good of the lead, not how it looks).

Over in Clifton, Bristol a lead canopy painted rainbow colours on a listed building is in the news for lots of reasons. Whether you agree or disagree with this Bristol family who painted their balcony lead canopy in bright rainbow colours for the LGBTQ+ community, the fact remains that lead roofing needs particular care and really shouldn't be painted.

Due to the toxic nature of lead, we highly recommend reducing the number of times you come into contact with the material. We also recommend using patination oil to allow the lead to breathe, rather than allowing the material to oxidise and having to clear away the white powder that forms before applying a new coat of oil or paint.

Is lead needed on a roof?

In conclusion, lead roofing is an excellent option for the finishing touches on a roof, the whole roof or the creation of a roof for a canopy due to its strength and durability. Lead can be applied anywhere on the roof in order to protect it from water damage.

But lead does have it's particular care label attached to it, so if you need advice or perhaps different options for roof materials, then please do get in touch with us here at DK Roofing in Hertfordshire - we'll be happy to help. 

Thank you for reading!