Although most of the time this isn’t something people really think about, it is interesting to find out more about the story behind your lead roof. Lead is an extremely versatile material and comes with endless amounts of benefits like its moulding ability and its resistance to corrosion. But how was lead discovered? And How did it end up on your roof?
How Lead Was Discovered?
Lead was one of the first metals to be found by humans in around 6500 BC and ancient Romans began to widely use it years later between 500 and 300 BC. This material was being used for all sorts of things like gutters, baths and to even cover buildings, very similar to today.
Lead then started to be used in larger buildings like churches, if a weaker and less durable material was used, we would have lost many amazing ancient buildings. Since lead has successfully stood the test of time, it has remained an extremely popular option for home and business owners today.
Why is it so Popular?
Lead has been a popular option for many years and we have more knowledge and technology than ever before, allowing us to discover new and better materials. However, lead has stuck to this day due to its excellent properties. Lead can last anywhere up to 200 years making it not only great for homes but monumental buildings too so they can last for many years to come. As well as this, lead is extremely environmentally friendly since it is 100% recyclable and today 95% of lead being used in buildings is actually made from the recycled lead so none of it is wasted.
- Durable
- Easily Moulded
- Corrosion Resistant
- Sound Resistant
- Good Insulator
- Recyclable
- Perfect for Flat Roofs
So What is Bad About it?
Lead is naturally a toxic material which of course isn’t great since it can poison substances like water, overtime polluting water that was caught in the lead flashing. Although this won’t affect you, this water can be found by animals or insects and it could be harmful.
The price of Lead doesn’t come cheap, since there is a low supply, it means that the price has to increase so this material might not be an option for some people. Although this material has many benefits, one of its main disadvantages is that is heavy. This can put a lot of stress on the house and gutters, some houses may not be able to support this.
- Toxic
- Expensive
- Heavy / Puts Stress on House
Contact Us
To find out more about lead roofing or any other types of metal roofs, give our team a call on 01865704031 or fill out our online contact form.