# How to bend lead flashing?



## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

You can break lead with two 2 x 4's and a couple of clamps. Its very soft and malleable, and its inert, thats why its such a great flashing.


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## tibberous (Mar 25, 2010)

jagans said:


> You can break lead with two 2 x 4's and a couple of clamps. Its very soft and malleable, and its inert, thats why its such a great flashing.


If you have a break would it hurt to stick it in there, or are 2x4's the way to go?


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Can I ask what you are using this for? That is a weird size and weight for roofing, as we usually see 3 or 4 lb. (Per Sq. ft.) If you can adjust your break, you want more of a roll than a very sharp break due to the thickness and softness of lead.


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## tibberous (Mar 25, 2010)

jagans said:


> Can I ask what you are using this for? That is a weird size and weight for roofing, as we usually see 3 or 4 lb. (Per Sq. ft.) If you can adjust your break, you want more of a roll than a very sharp break due to the thickness and softness of lead.


I have a couple very steep open-valleys that are failing - I wanted to use lead because it's cheaper and lasts longer than copper.

Do you know where I can find the right kind of lead flashing? I found this on eBay; I'm not sure to find sheet metal locally, but I'm going to need to, because the entire house has a metal "lip" -- no idea why, I guess so it can rust and fail.


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## PatChap (Nov 17, 2012)

What material is the roof? 8" wide lead wouldn't be enough for a valley, i usually use 14" metal for shingles.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Pat is correct. 8 inches is nowhere near wide enough. Copper or aluminum will work. It should have a return hem on both edges and be cleated. It should be placed over a full sheet of ice dams material centered on the valley, also.


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## tibberous (Mar 25, 2010)

PatChap said:


> What material is the roof? 8" wide lead wouldn't be enough for a valley, i usually use 14" metal for shingles.


Shingles.

I hate how hard it is to buy stuff like this. I've found 3 sites but you have to call them to order / get a price.


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## PatChap (Nov 17, 2012)

Lead is nice but unnecessary for a valley, aluminum or steel done properly will outlast a shingled roof.


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

14" aluminun. Crease down the center, 1/2" hemmed edges. Underbend it so you cna force it into place. Use cleats to hold it, with one or two nails in the center, at the top, under the 6"-8" lap of of the next piece so sections can't slide down and you're good to go. (If you nail inot the valley metal, it can buckle in the heat and split, then leak.

Cut back the shingle tops when you shingle it or it WILL leak.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Thanks Tinner, 

You may want to put two nails in you cleats vertically, and fold the back of the cleat back over the nail heads. This keeps the cleats from rotating, and keeps the nails from protruding, should they back out. 

Nice work, otherwise


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Not to worry. I took the pic right after aligning the valley. Other nails were added and the cleats were folded back over too. 


Not to hijack, but to clarify what Jagans was talking about, I'll add to it.
It's not as critical on a roof like this, as it is with tin or copper though. Under a metal roof, if the nail loosens, it will work on the bottom of the pans and make holes. If the cleat is folded over it, the cleat and pan move together and won't create leaks.

(Though the pic used doesn't show it well because that panel is against a wall, there is space between the cleats and panel to give it room to move.)


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

Im amazed that you dont have a secondary protection and a slip sheet under there I would have 30 lb ASTM D-226 type 2 (No.30) and rosin seized paper over the felt for a slip sheet. Arent you worried about the iron nails reacting with the panel? That is an old, old, deck you've got there I would guess. Is that tern coat?

Great Pictures, guys!


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Slip sheet is necesssary when the wood is sappy. It only lasts until the sap has dried up. As installed, the roof can go 200 years if it stays painted. THe bottoms of the panels are painted before installation.
The nails were all countersunk into the deck amd another nail was driven into an adjacent grain, at an angle to tighten them up so they can't back out. There is no risk of reaction, just backing out and possible rubbing a hole in a panel.

Why would you worry about a secondary protection? If the roof is done correctly, it will just rot away. If the roof is done wrong, it will still leak.

Here are some pics of an old tin roof I installed in the 80's. These are of the bottom. It was not painted on the bottom. One pic shows the EG nails that were used. A helper allowed some of them to get wet and he did not throw all of them away as I ordered. The rust did not transfer to the tin. 
How do you like the underlay?

Reason for removing the tin roof? The owner decided that since they would no longer have shinlges on the rest of the house, they wanted me to replace the entire roof with standing seam copper.


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## paintdrying (Jul 13, 2012)

Is their a problem with just doing the valleys by overlapping the shingles? Or inter lacing, what ever you call it.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

With a shingle roof I like a closed cut valley myself.


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