Chimney leak - thoughts on the lead flashing? (pic)

[Penners]

it will only crack and fall out and you'll have to go and do it properly. and before that happens, it will look terrible!

And could damage soft bricks. Stick to your guns and use lime mortar!

 

[kreyszig]

I can recommend Ty Mawr for a good pre-coloured dark aggregate.
They sell pre-mixed fat lime mortar too, which I might give a go at some point.

 

[TheRoost]

The roofer came and inspected the chimney yesterday from the scaffold - he found that one of the flashings wasn't secure in the brickwork, and that the soakers only extended up the chimney stack by 1" which he recommends should be 3", he thinks partially caused by shrinkage.

So what does he say has shrunk - the lead, the bricks....? :?

I think he was being polite blaming it on lead soaker shrinkage - I don't know if a 6-7" wide piece of lead can shrink by 2" or not, but looking at the flashings over them I think it was done using the smallest pieces of lead that they could get away with.

 

[TheRoost]

I can recommend Ty Mawr for a good pre-coloured dark aggregate.
They sell pre-mixed fat lime mortar too, which I might give a go at some point.

Thanks for that, I'd been on the lookout for some dark aggregates/pozzolans, the prices seem very good too.

 

[TheRoost]

New leadwork all fitted now, it looks 'proper' and is very well dressed over the slates. The flaunching was replaced as well, it was cracked on the far side and resembled a thin pie crust with a sand filling. All that render on the over sailing course of bricks was removed, the Accrington bricks looking clean and new underneath (maybe it had been rendered for a long time?)

It was good to get a bit of experience up on a scaffold/roof ladder too.