If you've got a damp patch on the chimney breast upstairs or a brown stain on a bedroom ceiling, the problem is often the lead around your chimney, not the roof tiles. Many houses in Shirley have chimney stacks from the 1920s and 1930s, and plenty of them still have their original or patched leadwork. Here's how to tell when it's failing, what a proper repair involves and roughly what it costs locally.
Where a chimney stack comes through a pitched roof, there's a joint between brick and tile that would let water in without protection. Lead sheet seals that joint. On a typical stack you'll find a front apron across the downhill face, stepped flashings running up each side and tucked into the mortar joints, and a back gutter (sometimes called a back tray) on the uphill side that carries water around the stack. Beneath the side flashings there are often soakers, small pieces of lead slipped between the tiles.
Properly fitted lead can last 60 years or more. Most failures come from the bits around the lead: mortar that has crumbled out of the joints, wedges that have worked loose, or past repairs done with sealant instead of lead.
Some of these you can spot from the garden with binoculars. Others show up inside first, usually after heavy rain driven by a south westerly wind.
If the lead itself is sound and the problem is loose fixings or perished mortar, the usual fix is to rake out the joints, re-dress the lead tight to the brickwork, refit lead wedges and repoint. That's a modest job if the stack is easy to reach.
Replacement makes more sense when the lead is split, too thin, cut into overlong single runs or buried under years of sealant. New work should use the correct thickness, typically Code 4 for flashings and soakers and Code 5 for back gutters, with pieces kept to sensible lengths so they can move without cracking. It's also a good moment to check the stack's pointing and flaunching, and the cowls or pots, because you're paying for access anyway. If the back gutter has failed, the tiles above it usually need lifting so it can be replaced properly.
Access is often the biggest variable. A chimney on a bungalow or a low single storey extension might be reachable with a roof ladder. On most two storey houses around Shirley, Spring Park and the roads off Wickham Road, safe working usually means scaffolding, either a chimney scaffold or a tower depending on the roof. If the scaffold has to go on the pavement, Croydon Council requires a licence, which adds cost and lead time.
As a rough guide, and it genuinely depends on the stack size, roof pitch and access:
Ask for photos of the chimney before and after the work, so you can see what was found and what was done. A good roofer should explain whether they're reusing or replacing the lead and why. Be wary of anyone who quotes to seal the lead with mastic and leave it there; it might stop a drip for a season, but it traps water and makes a proper repair harder later. If you're also thinking about removing an unused chimney, get advice first, as that's a bigger job with structural and planning considerations.
Most flashing repairs or replacements on a single stack take one to two days once the scaffold is up. Scaffold usually goes up the day before and comes down after the work is checked.
Yes, there are lead free flashing products that are lighter and have no scrap value to thieves. They suit some situations well, but traditional lead is still the more durable choice for back gutters and complex stacks.
Insurers generally cover sudden damage, such as storm damage, but not gradual wear or poor maintenance. It's worth checking your policy and keeping photos of the damage before any repair.
Tell us about the job and we will get a quote back to you, most days the same day.