Code 3 or 4 for lead soakers?

[epsilonGreedy]

I am about to order some lead flashing and cannot decide on the best code for load soakers to be fitted at a pitched roof abutment.

 

The online guides say soakers can be made from code 3 or 4 but there is no indication of a preference. My roof has a 30 degree pitch with a natural slate covering.

 

Code 3 is 1.32mm thick and Code 4 is 36% thicker at 1.8mm. Some say code 4 might kick the slate up a bit more.

 

My greatest concern is that a code-3 soaker might tear at the upstand bend if the roof structure flexed away from the wall abutment during a storm force gust.

[PeterW]

If the roof moves that much during a storm you’re going to have bigger issues than lead tearing ..! 
 

I use lead clips and leadmate rather than mortar these days to remove any issues with minor movement cracking mortar. 

[Temp]

I doubt you would notice an extra 0.5mm from the ground. 

[joe90]

My take on this is if the soakers are under the slates (as I prefer not to see too much lead) then code 3 is fine. If the lead is open to being “picked up by the wind” then I would use code 4. 

[tonyshouse]

3 for me 

[Conor]

Our excellent roofers used code 4 for everything. Think it cost me about £500 ?

[Oz07]

15 hours ago, Conor said:

Our excellent roofers used code 4 for everything. Think it cost me about £500 ?

You only spend it once

[Roys]

I bought a roll of code 4, 2 years ago, told to go and just take it from the pallet, oh how I laughed when I thought they had stuck it down, they hadn’t, it was just a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be, if my memory is correct I think it was 40kg.

[epsilonGreedy]

On 07/08/2021 at 12:20, Roys said:

I bought a roll of code 4, 2 years ago, told to go and just take it from the pallet, oh how I laughed when I thought they had stuck it down, they hadn’t, it was just a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be, if my memory is correct I think it was 40kg.

 

 

A 6m x 210mm roll of code-4 lead flashing about be 26kg according to this page.

 

https://www.roofgiant.com/code-4-lead-flashing/midland-lead-code-4-roofing-lead-flashing-roll-6m/

 

And in my case a 6m x 450mm wide roll for the ridges & hips in code 5 is 68kg. That is 2.5 bags of cement in a small package.

[epsilonGreedy]

On 06/08/2021 at 19:47, joe90 said:

My take on this is if the soakers are under the slates (as I prefer not to see too much lead) then code 3 is fine. If the lead is open to being “picked up by the wind” then I would use code 4. 

 

I assume the slates will be cut to within 5 or 10mm of the abutment facing brick wall and the stepped cover flashing will protect some of this joint, so there will be very little of the soakers exposed.

[epsilonGreedy]

On 06/08/2021 at 15:56, PeterW said:

If the roof moves that much during a storm you’re going to have bigger issues than lead tearing ..! 

 

 

I was only thinking of a few mm of movement and was concerned this might tear paper thin code-3 soakers that would be constrained a little by the code-4 stepped cover flashing.

 

During in the Boxing Day storm of 2020 I was working on the ridge of the main roof tying down the temporary tarps, as the storm built up I was surprised to feel the (incomplete) hipped truss structure moving a bit.

 

On 06/08/2021 at 15:56, PeterW said:

I use lead clips and leadmate rather than mortar these days to remove any issues with minor movement cracking mortar. 

 

 

I plan to use home-made lead roll clips but I need to point up in a light sandy colour mortar to match the rest of the brickwork. That leadmate seems like a simpler material to use but think it only comes in a mid grey colour.

[PeterW]

Lead rolls are pointless - just buy a bag of clips and forget about it forever. You can point up but consider finding a pale cream external silicone in that case as it’s more stable. 

[Oz07]

Doesn't silicone rot lead? Hence leadmate. Honestly @epsilonGreedy your worrying too much about the colour. Just use lead mate it looks fine when done. Particularly 3 winters later when half the compo isn't missing. 

[joe90]

55 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said:

concerned this might tear paper thin code-3 soakers

Code 3 is not paper thin, it’s 0.5mm thinner than code 4.

 

What is Code 3 lead?

 

 

Code 3 lead is the thinnest gauge of lead used in commercial roofing and is suitable for light applications such as soakers at the abutment..

[epsilonGreedy]

2 hours ago, Oz07 said:

Doesn't silicone rot lead? Hence leadmate. Honestly @epsilonGreedy your worrying too much about the colour. Just use lead mate it looks fine when done. Particularly 3 winters later when half the compo isn't missing. 

 

 

Definitely advice I will take seriously for the chimney flashing on the main 2 storey roof. However this particular abutment which is the first challenge will be just above the principal house entrance.

[epsilonGreedy]

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

Code 3 is not paper thin, it’s 0.5mm thinner than code 4.

 

What is Code 3 lead?

 

 

Code 3 lead is the thinnest gauge of lead used in commercial roofing and is suitable for light applications such as soakers at the abutment..

 

 

Yes fair point, as I mentioned in the opening post "Code 3 is 1.32mm thick and Code 4 is 36% thicker at 1.8mm. Some say code 4 might kick the slate up a bit more.".

 

1.32mm does sound paper thin to me but I have not actually handled lead flashing before. The fact that the industry equally approves of materials with a 36% difference is something I cannot reconcile in my head. Neither would be a mistake it seems. There is always the breather membrane if the soaker fails!