Lead valley repairs

A valley is one of the places where a roof’s geometry becomes most obvious: two slopes meet, and the resulting channel needs to be considered as a detail in its own right.

When a leak is associated with that area, a distant view of the tiles is not enough to settle the repair. The assessment needs to identify the construction, its condition and the part actually responsible for the problem.

Name the construction accurately

Not every valley uses lead. When contacting WWR Roofing, describe the location and any known repair history without guessing the material. The lining, surrounding coverings and outlet need to be understood before a leadwork repair or replacement is specified.

Photographs should identify the valley and the relevant finding. If debris is present, have its removal distinguished from a repair to the lining or surrounding covering. Those are separate tasks even when carried out during the same visit.

Include the surrounding work

Accessing a valley can involve work to the coverings beside it. Ask what will be lifted, retained or replaced and how the completed edges will be reinstated. This helps explain why the price cannot be understood simply as the cost of a strip of metal.

Where damage extends beyond the first visible area, agree how additional work will be documented and approved. Keep any change connected to the original scope so the final record remains understandable.

Record the result at the right scale

A close-up of a new section is useful, but a wider photograph helps show its position in the roof. Request both where practical. Note any remaining recommendations separately, rather than assuming that one valley repair confirms the condition of the entire covering.

After subsequent rain, report any recurrence of the original symptom with its location and date. That is follow-up evidence, not an instruction to climb up and inspect the repair yourself.

Use our leadwork page for an enquiry. Where the cause of an internal stain is still uncertain, the roof leak investigation article explains the value of establishing the source before ordering a particular repair.