June 2018

Lead Work
MAKE YOUR LEAD LAST: TOP TIPS
FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR LEAD
By Dave Woolley, Midland Lead’s Technical Manager.
Lead is known for its durable and hardwearing qualities, when treated correctly it can face the
elements with ease and last over a hundred years while still presenting a beautiful finish. But lead
is also a soft and malleable metal and, like most natural occurring materials, it can deteriorate or
lose its visual appeal if not looked after properly. Below are a few tips to ensure this doesn’t happen:
“Lead is a simple and
undemanding product
to work with and – with
these tips on hand –
easy to maintain too”
1. Store your lead correctly
Before installing your lead rolls or sheets, make
sure you store them correctly. By doing so you
can be sure that they’ll be ready to use with
minimal preparation whenever you need them. If
improperly stored, lead sheet may become
discoloured. To keep your lead in perfect condition
follow these four simple rules:
• Store your lead in a clean, dry environment.
• Use a raised pallet so that the lead is not in
contact with the ground.
• Avoid stacking the pallets, this could bend the
lead beneath.
• Keep the original packaging
on until you’re ready to use it.
2. Treat your lead
When it comes to caring for
your lead the best piece of
advice is this: treat your lead with
patination oil first. Treating your lead with
patination oil before installing it means you won’t
have to worry about cleaning it after installation.
Simply apply a coat of patination oil over your
Left: Dave Woolley, Midland Lead’s
Technical Manager.
lead products before installing
them to prevent unsightly
white stains on tiles or
brickwork adjacent to new lead
work. The oil also seals the
surface from damp, so there’s never
any lead oxide run-off.
Patination oil gives lead a wonderful sheen and
lustre too. It’s quick to apply and works out at
pence per square metre.
38 TC JUNE 2018