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Lead Roof Repair
Introduction to Lead Roof Repair
If you have a lead roof it will be quite difficult to carry out repairs on it. At one time they were very popular but a combination of people having the lead stolen from their roofs and the invention of other more manageable types of roofing, there are less lead roofs around. For so long it was the traditional materiel for British homes but now few newly built homes have a lead roof.
One thing is certain, if you have a lead roof and it needs to be repaired it will not be an easy job and it certainly will not be a cheap one. It will give the house good protection but at a price and a price that many people will not be able to afford.
What to Look out For in Lead Roof Repair
As with any work that is undertaken on a roof, this job should be approached with caution. Lead is very heavy and so extra care is needed when working with it. There will be all the normal precautions to take such as not using a ladder unless you have to and making sure that all tools are in a safe place. It will still be best not to work in the rain, but if needs must the work should be carried out as soon as possible. As lead is used on mainly historic buildings they are quite likely to be too high to use a ladder and due to the weight of the lead additional lifting equipment will be needed.
This is not the sort of job that you can carry out on your own. Lead for repairing roofs is normally designed to come in sheets and it will not be possible for one person to lift them up and put them into place. The weather plays a large part in the deterioration of lead sheets. As the sun then the wind hits it, the sheet will begin to move down the roof and will need to be replaced. If not done quickly it can start to affect the sheets around it. Due to the cost and also the difficulty of the job many firms take on the work rather than enthusiastic followers of DIY taking the risks.
How to Combat Lead Roof Repair Problems
There are a number of different ways that the roof can become damaged and one is condensation. One way to cut back on this is to add a chalk emulsion. It will not stop condensation completely but it will slow the corrosion down.
It is possible to patch repair a lead roof but there is a major hazard in doing this. As there has to be a great deal of heat involved, this has in the past lead to fires. Although there is no law against doing this organisations such as the National Trust have very strict rules when it comes to repairing the lead roofs on their buildings. Once replaced or repaired, the roof should be secure for many years without needing any further attention.
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