Lead Flashing Accessories
(4 Products)Lead flashing accessories play a fundamentally important role in the overall success, longevity, and performance of any lead sheet roofing installation. While lead itself is highly durable, using the correct ancillary products ensures the entire system functions as intended and meets professional standards.
Why Use Lead Flashing Accessories?
Investing in accessories specifically engineered for lead work provides critical advantages over generic or potentially inappropriate alternatives. Using the correct ancillaries ensures compliance with best practices (like those recommended by the Lead Sheet Association - LSA) and maximises the lifespan and performance of your lead flashing installation:
- Material Compatibility & System Longevity: Lead is a specific metal; specialist accessories are formulated (like neutral cure sealants) or designed (like compatible metal fixing clips) to prevent adverse chemical reactions or galvanic corrosion that could occur with standard products. This ensures the durability of both the accessory and the lead itself within the roofing system.
- Guaranteed Weatherproofing Integrity: Achieving a lasting watertight barrier is paramount. Purpose-made sealants offer tenacious, flexible adhesion specifically between lead and various common building substrates (masonry, tile etc.). They create durable seals at critical junctions that accommodate natural thermal movement, unlike potentially rigid or incompatible fillers that might crack or fail over time.
- Professional Finish & Aesthetic Control: The final appearance is crucial. Correct accessories contribute significantly to the neat, uniform finish expected of skilled lead work. Specific surface treatments, for instance, actively manage the lead's initial natural weathering process to prevent the common problem of unsightly white carbonate staining on surrounding materials.
- Best Practice Installation & Compliance: Using items like appropriate fixing clips aligns with recommended installation techniques that ensure secure fixing without compromising the lead sheet through unnecessary or damaging perforations, accommodating thermal movement correctly.
- Prevention of Damage: Employing the right accessories avoids issues like stress fractures from incorrect fixing, chemical attack from incompatible sealants, or the aesthetic damage caused by uncontrolled run-off staining.
Key Types of Lead Flashing Accessories We Offer
Our range covers the critical ancillary items needed for most lead flashing applications:
Fixing & Securing Solutions
Securely fixing lead flashing while allowing for thermal movement is essential. Hall Clips provide a reliable mechanical fixing into joints, holding lead flashing firmly against wind uplift without perforation.
Sealing & Weatherproofing Solutions
Creating durable, watertight seals is paramount. We offer Lead Sealants, specially formulated as an alternative to mortaring lead flashing and sheet into brick, stone and concrete.
Surface Treatment & Protection
To prevent the common issue of white carbonate staining on adjacent roof tiles or brickwork from new lead, Patination Oil should be applied shortly after installation. It helps the lead develop its characteristic uniform grey patina cleanly.
Frequently Asked Lead Flashing Accessories Questions
How Do Sealants Specifically Formulated For Lead Differ From General-Purpose Ones?
Sealants designed for use with lead flashing are typically chemically neutral (neutral cure). This prevents adverse reactions with the lead metal, which can occur with some acidic cure silicones, ensuring a durable bond and preventing staining. They are formulated for strong adhesion to both lead and common roofing/building substrates while remaining flexible to accommodate movement.
What Is The Benefit Of Applying A Surface Treatment To Newly Installed Lead Flashing?
Applying an appropriate surface treatment shortly after installation primarily prevents the formation of uneven white carbonate streaks (run-off staining) on surrounding tiles or brickwork as the new lead begins to weather. It helps manage this initial process, allowing the lead's natural, protective grey patina to develop uniformly underneath, resulting in a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing finish.
Do The Accessories Used To Fix Lead Flashing Also Make The Joint Waterproof?
Generally, no. Mechanical fixings for lead flashing are designed primarily to secure the lead physically within a joint or chase. They typically do not provide a weatherproof seal themselves. Watertightness must usually be achieved separately by correctly applying a compatible pointing sealant or traditional mortar mix over the fixed lead within the chase.
