Lead Welding
Lead welded into one piece on back gutters, front aprons and box gutters, dressed and oiled.
About lead welding
Leadwork welded the traditional way
You do not see properly welded leadwork much any more. A lot of lead on roofs is lapped, folded and finished with a bead of sealant, which looks fine for a year or two. Welding is slower and takes more skill, and when it is done right the finish speaks for itself.
Welding (sometimes called lead burning) joins the pieces of lead into one. Corners, ends and joints that would otherwise be laps become a single sheet that is shaped to the brickwork and the roof.
Where we weld lead
Back gutters
The gutter behind a chimney catches everything that runs down the roof above it. A welded back gutter is formed as one piece with welded corners, so there is no lap for water to get under.
Front aprons
The apron at the front of a stack or wall dresses over the tiles below. Welding its corners gives a clean, tight fit around the brickwork.
Box gutters and awkward details
Box gutters, parapets and corners that cannot be done neatly with folds and laps are where welding earns its keep.
Step flashing, dressed and oiled
Up the sides of the stack we fit step flashing chased into the joints. Everything is dressed tight to the roof and finished with patination oil, which stops the white staining fresh lead can leave on brick and tiles.
Code 4 and Code 5 lead
The code is the thickness. We use the right one for each part of the job: Code 4 for most flashings, Code 5 for gutters and the areas that carry the most water.
How the job runs
- We look at the lead and photograph what we find, splits, gaps and old sealant included.
- Written quote, itemised line by line, with the lead code and the access listed.
- Old lead and sealant come off and the joints are raked out.
- New lead is cut, welded and dressed on the roof, then oiled.
- Photos of the finished work, so you can see exactly what you have paid for.
Also from Ultimate Roofcare
More of what we do
Recent work
Recent jobs
A red tile re-roof in Sandtoft Olympus, Tuscan
A natural slate re-roof with hips and valleys
A Marley Modern re-roof, after some very bad spray foam
A big re-roof on TLX Gold, in a granulated grey tile
Letchworth A plain tile re-roof in Letchworth
A hipped roof in man-made slate
Milton Keynes A natural slate re-roof in Milton Keynes
Oxford A natural slate re-roof in Oxford
How we work
An honest Bedford roofer: what the roof needs, not what pays best
Read our Google reviews and the same things come up: honest advice, the most detailed quote they received, and a team who arrive smart and leave the site tidy.
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01
A repair when a repair will do
A Bedford customer with a chimney leak got new lead and a metre of felt, not a new roof. "There was no need to start doing loads of unnecessary work," in her words.
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02
Itemised, line by line
Scaffold, skip, materials, even the portable toilet on a big job. You see exactly what you are paying for.
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03
Quick when it is leaking
Customers who called in the early evening with water coming in had us there the next day.
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04
Done the proper way
Dry ridge and verge systems, eaves support trays, welded lead, breathable membranes, and moss scraped off by hand. We never jet-wash a roof.
What people say
4.9
29 reviews on Google
A 120-year-old roof, matched to the original
“The finished roof looks great, and is an excellent match to the original which is important in Letchworth.”
We noticed the felt in our loft was deteriorating quite badly, so decided it was time to get the roof replaced. We had three different companies out to quote, with Jude from Ultimate Roof Care being the last. Jude came across really well, very polite and well spoken, and took the time to explain everything properly. His quotation was by far the most detailed, with everything clearly itemised so we knew exactly what we were paying for. The team did exactly what was promised and we're really pleased with our new roof. We'd seen their vans working around Bedfordshire before, which was reassuring too. More than happy with the whole experience and would definitely recommend Ultimate Roof Care.
We had a bad leak coming into the roof and couldn't work out where it was coming from. We called Jude and he came out, had a proper look and identified the problem around the chimney. Our house was built in the 1980s and he showed us where the old felt had started collapsing around that area. One of his guys then came out and replaced the lead around the chimney as well as roughly a metre of felt around it. Jude explained that there was no need to start doing loads of unnecessary work and that a localised repair should sort the problem, which we really appreciated. The exact area where the water was coming in before has stayed completely dry. Really happy with the repair and thought the price was very fair. The guys were polite, turned up looking smart and were very professional. We're based in Bedford and would definitely recommend them.
We'd been having problems with a leak on our bungalow roof, despite previously having another roofing company out, so we decided it was time to have the whole roof replaced. Jude was brilliant from the start, and the detail in their quotation was on another level compared to the others we received. Everything was explained step by step, from the scaffolding and materials being delivered to the skip, even a portable toilet for the workers. Their price was very competitive too, but it was really the attention to detail and how professional they were that made us choose them. What a great company. We couldn't recommend Ultimate Roof Care enough!
I had spray foam insulation in my loft which was causing issues with selling my property. Jude explained the full process, gave me a clear written quote and even arranged for an electrician to safely disconnect and reconnect my solar panels. Once the foam was removed, they bagged and cleared every bit of waste and left the loft spotless. The surveyor who came afterwards commented on the quality of the job. True professionals, I'd highly recommend them.
I booked a roof MOT with Ultimate Roofcare because I wanted to be sure everything was in good condition before the winter. They showed me photos of a couple of cracked tiles and some minor pointing that needed attention, but reassured me the rest of the roof was in good shape. They fixed everything there and then at a very fair price. No pushy sales, just genuine advice and quality workmanship.
After the really heavy rain the other day we had quite a bad leak come through and called Jude at around 5 or 6 in the evening. He came out the very next day. Owen then came out shortly afterwards and got the repair sorted for us. They opened up roughly a metre along the bottom of the roof, renewed the felt in that area and fitted a new eaves support tray system. We've had more rain since and everything has stayed completely dry.
Jude and his efficient team of workers have done a complete roof replacement with slates on our 200 year old house. They have done an excellent job and the roof is now entirely watertight and looks very smart. Quality materials and experienced skills have resulted in a great job and peace of mind for us. Thankyou to all. Richard and Lorna
I found Ultimate Roofcare in the local Bedford Bulletin. Joe came along to check out the loft. Jude came along later in one of his branded vehicles (big reassurance) and explained that he could do the job in 4 days with 8-10 men. By Wednesday evening the roof tiles had been removed and replaced, a new roof lining installed, 3 layers of insulation placed between the joists, ventilated soffits and new gutters fitted and a good tidy-up completed. If you need any roofing or loft work done, you would struggle to find a better company.Read every review The full set, in their own words
Before you ring
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between welded and lapped lead?
Lapped lead is pieces overlapped and folded, with the joints left as laps. Welded lead has its corners and joints joined into one piece. On back gutters and box gutters, where water sits and runs, that means no lap for it to get under.
Is lead welding the same as lead burning?
Yes. Roofers use both names for joining lead with a flame.
Can you weld lead on my existing chimney?
Usually. If the old back gutter or apron has split, we take it off and form a new welded one in its place. We look first and tell you what it needs.
Why does new lead need oiling?
Fresh lead can leave white streaks on brick and tiles as it weathers. Patination oil stops that while the lead settles to its natural grey.
Get in touch
Tell us about the roof
- We call you back To hear what the roof is doing.
- We come and look And take photos of what we find, so you can see it too.
- You get a written, itemised quote What the roof needs and what it costs. No pressure.