Chimneys and leadwork

The chimney is the part of the roof that gets wet from four sides and holds the water. When a roof leaks around a chimney it is almost never the slates.

Flashing is the lead that seals the junction between chimney and roof. On older houses it is often cement fillets that have cracked, or lead that has fatigued and split. We replace it with stepped lead flashing let into the mortar joints, soakers under each slate, a back gutter behind the stack and a front apron, in the right code of lead for each piece so it does not crack again.

Stacks themselves fail from the top down: the pot works loose, the flaunching cracks, the water gets into the brick and frost does the rest. We repoint and reflaunch sound stacks, rebuild the top courses of poor ones, and take down stacks that are no longer used, tiling over so you would never know. Flues that are still used get a cowl or a vent cap; disused ones are capped and vented so they stay dry.

What is included

• Scaffold tower or chimney scaffold, in the price
• Stepped lead flashing, soakers, back gutter and apron
• Repointing and reflaunching with the correct mortar
• Partial and full rebuilds in matching brick
• Cowls, caps and vents fitted
• Removal below the roofline and tiling over

What it costs

Re-flashing and repointing from £650 including scaffold tower. Partial rebuilds from £1,200, full rebuilds from £2,400, removal below the roofline from £1,100. All prices include scaffold or access, waste removal and VAT. See the full price list.