Lead flashing failure is the single most common hidden cause of ceiling damp in St Thomas’s Victorian housing. When lead step flashings, aprons or back gutters fail, water entry is often wrongly attributed to broken tiles. We carry out free lead surveys and full replacement across St Thomas to the correct code specification. Call 01392 759 295.
St Thomas’s Victorian terrace chimneys are among the most consistently maintained lead work jobs we carry out in Exeter. The high density of original stacks on Cowick Street and the surrounding streets, combined with the age of the original lead, means that full replacement rather than patch repair is the most common scope. We carry out heritage lead work in St Thomas using hydraulic lime mortar tuck and correctly specified code 4 and code 5 lead throughout.
The Exe riverside position creates a specific lead maintenance consideration for St Thomas properties close to the river. Higher ambient humidity accelerates the oxidation cycle of lead, shortening the service life slightly compared to more elevated properties. We apply patination oil to all new lead installations on riverside St Thomas properties to extend the protective patina formation.
Code 4 lead (1.80mm) is the minimum specification for step and apron flashings on St Thomas chimneys. Code 5 (2.24mm) for back gutters where standing water risk is present. Stainless steel clips rather than mortar tuck alone on exposed faces. Patination oil applied to all new installations. These are the standards we apply as a matter of course on every St Thomas lead work job.
Free survey and quote — no call-out fee, no obligation.
📞 Call 01392 759 295“Full lead replacement on our chimney in St Thomas. No more damp in the bedroom. Should have done it years ago.”
“Step and apron flashings replaced in code 4. Back gutter included without being asked. Correct thorough approach.”
“Survey found the back gutter had failed silently. Full replacement, correctly dressed. Good thorough work.”
Step and apron flashings: £400–£750. Full chimney lead including back gutter: £700–£1,400. Free survey. Call 01392 759 295.
White calcium staining running from the chimney face, ceiling damp near a chimney breast after rain, or visible cracking at flashing fold points are the main indicators.
A single crack on sound lead can be sealed. Multiple cracks, previously patched lead, or lead over 50 years old warrants full replacement. Three patch repairs cost as much as full replacement.
Code 4 for step and apron flashings. Code 5 for back gutters. Stainless steel clips throughout. These are our standard specifications, not upgrades.
Always — the back gutter is the element most frequently overlooked and most prone to failure. We assess it on every survey.
40–60 years correctly specified and installed. Code 3 lead under-specified for the application fails in 15–25 years.
10-year workmanship guarantee on all lead work. Call 01392 759 295.
No call-out fee. No obligation. Local Exeter roofers who turn up when they say they will.
01392 759 295