Lead flashing Vs Cement

[Captfinnbad]

House built around 1919.

The walls are made of irregular shaped stone and NOT brick.

All the flashing is currently/has always been a cement mix. House has never had leaks in its past and the flashing has held up okay.

Obviously it's not going to last forever and it's finally given up over the years on the weekend. Got a slow drip down the wall in the bathroom.

A family friend has came out. Said he can either replace with cement flashing or lead.

£400 for cement or £900 for the lead.


Obviously he said the lead isn't going to be a conventional job because of the stone walls. It will have to chase a channel out the stone with an angle grinder for the lead.


I really can't decide what I want to do.


£400 for the cement or £900 for the lead.

Advice please?

 

[Captfinnbad]

Had a think about it and I'm just going to go with the cement fillet.

My thinking is the roof was redone in the 60's/70's (the house has been in the family since it was built so know the history).

The roof hasn't been touched, leaked or needed repair since. So it obviously works absolutely no if done right it will probably outlive the roof.

So no point angle grinding into the natural stone, and changing things especially if the fillet has worked and held up well all this time.

 

[johnny2007]

Good choice

 

[noseall]

Had a think about it and I'm just going to go with the cement fillet.

Make sure you choose the sand wisely, mix it correctly and pick a good day to do it.

 

[ree]

OP,
No matter how well done the job - possible movement in the roof cover can crack the S&C fillets. Do you intend to clean off the slates or tiles or are you aiming to go over the existing fillets with your S&C mix?

 

[Captfinnbad]

OP,
No matter how well done the job - possible movement in the roof cover can crack the S&C fillets. Do you intend to clean off the slates or tiles or are you aiming to go over the existing fillets with your S&C mix?

Like I said the house was built in 1919 and it had a new roof roughly 60 years ago. The current fillets lasted 60 years.

If the job is done well why do you think this one isn't going to last ?

I'm not doing it. The roofer is.

 

[Captfinnbad]

Make sure you choose the sand wisely, mix it correctly and pick a good day to do it.

Any information on this ? Whatever they used it the past clearly worked, so definitely want to replicate whatever they did all those years ago.

I'm not doing the job , a roofer friend is.

 

[noseall]

Any information on this ? Whatever they used it the past clearly worked, so definitely want to replicate whatever they did all those years ago.

I'm not doing the job , a roofer friend is.

You want the sand as sharp as possible but with some workable soft (building) sand properties.

We'd likely go for a two or three part soft - one part sharp - one part cement mix with a small blob of fairy in the water. The yellow building sand by us is large grained and is ideal along with a smidgen if sharp in it. Don't mix it too wet. You want a firm mix that holds together (just) when worked.

 

[Captfinnbad]

You want the sand as sharp as possible but with some workable soft (building) sand properties.

We'd likely go for a two or three part soft - one part sharp - one part cement mix with a small blob of fairy in the water. The yellow building sand by us is large grained and is ideal along with a smidgen if sharp in it. Don't mix it it wet. You want a firm mix that holds together (just) when worked.

Thank you for this mate

 

[ree]

OP,
"possible movement in the roof cover" can crack S&C fillets.
Use building sand it sticks better FWIW.
But I still have some Post #5 questions lacking answers?

 

[^woody^]

You should use a lime mortar not cement, as cement is too rigid and tends to crack.