Chimney rebuild and lead work, step by step

The brief: a stack that stops letting water in

A chimney is the most exposed part of a house. It stands in the wind, takes rain on four faces and sits on a joint with the roof that has to stay sealed for decades. When the brickwork crumbles or the lead lets go, water reaches the ceiling below.

This project brings together the two halves of the fix: the stack itself, rebuilt, and the lead that seals it into the roof. The photographs come from the stack rebuild and the lead work, and between them they show every stage.

Taking the old stack down

A stack that is leaning, hollow or losing its bricks cannot be patched, so it comes down. The first photograph shows the old stack opened up, the weathered brick and tiles around it visible and the stack being taken apart from the top.

The roof around it is protected as the brickwork comes down. A rebuild starts with an honest look at what remains, because the new stack is only as sound as the brick underneath it.

Rebuilding, flaunching and pots

The rebuilt stack, in fresh red brick, stands square on the roof with its capping tiles in place and a ladder against it, ready for its pots. The next photographs move to the top. Fresh mortar flaunching slopes away around the flue and a terracotta pot with a mesh cowl, shedding water instead of holding it.

A second view looks along the stack to a row of vented terracotta pots, each bedded on new flaunching, with a scaffold pole alongside. Flaunching is a small detail with a big job: it holds the pots in place and sends rain off the stack.

Stepped lead flashing

Where a roof meets a brick wall, lead has to step up the wall with the brick courses. The photographs show new stepped lead running up a brick wall, each step tucked into the mortar joint and dressed down over the roof covering.

A close view shows how tight those steps sit against the brickwork. Lead that is cut, dressed and pointed properly keeps water out for decades, and it is the detail we check last before the scaffold comes down.

Each lead step is cut to the brick course it sits in, so no water can track behind it.

Chimney rebuild and lead work for your house

If you have a stain near a chimney breast, a leaning stack or lead that has split, see our chimney repairs and lead work pages. Many chimney leaks turn out to be a roof repair too, so our roof repairs page is worth a look.

All work is backed with a 20 year written guarantee, and every quote is free with no obligation. We promise to beat any written quote. Ask for yours and Hugh or one of the team calls you back.