Incredible Lead: Four Reasons A Lead Roof Is Right For You
There is certainly plenty of negative information to be found on lead, but in reality, if lead isn't improperly ingested, it a very useful material in the industrial world. Lead is malleable and flexible, it can be used with organic materials, such as wood, it has a low melting point, and it is dense. It is also long-lasting, making it a good choice for some building applications; roofing is one of those. Here are the top four advantages of choosing a lead roof.
Lead Roofing Is Traditional
Lead sheeting has been effectively used for hundreds of years. Milled or machine-cast lead roofing is ideal for factories, whereas sand-cast lead is the perfect choice for restoring historic buildings and old churches and cathedrals as well as traditional homes. Milled or machine-cast lead is lead that comes in thin, flexible sheets. Sand-cast lead uses sand to create the right shape molds, and then molten liquid lead is poured into the mold and allowed to set before the mold is broken away. Sand cast lead is done essentially the same way the Romans did it several hundred years ago.
Lead Roofing Is Durable
A properly installed and maintained lead roof can last an incredible 200 years or more. Because the material is malleable, it can contract and expand with the elements. The lead sheeting can easily be fit to even the tightest angles, ensuring total coverage.
Lead products for roofing are also able to withstand intense UV degradation from the sun, and it won't corrode from the elements or from saltwater when used in coastal areas. It is also impervious to most chemicals, so using in areas with high pollution or acid rain won't affect it.
Lead Roofing Seals Tight
When lead sheeting is used with a neutral cure silicone sealant, you can be assured any joint will be tightly sealed. Neutral cure silicone building sealant is flexible once it has cured, making lead roofing the ideal partner for 100 percent watertight seals.
Lead Roofing Is Recyclable
Because of the high percentage of people who are aware lead can be potentially dangerous if it is not handled and disposed of properly, it has an extremely high recycling rate, with over 50 percent of the lead used each year having been used in a previous application. Almost 100 percent of the lead used in batteries is recovered thanks to recycling programs. This make lead recycling more successful than even aluminum and copper.
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