Hand dressing
Lead is still shaped by hand to fit the specific contours of each junction, since every roof detail is slightly different and machine-formed alternatives can't match that precision.
Welted and lapped joints
Traditional jointing techniques allow lead sheets to be joined while still accommodating thermal movement, a problem that's never really needed a modern replacement.
Bossing
The technique of shaping lead around complex details like pipes and awkward junctions by hand remains a genuine craft skill, still taught and practised the traditional way.
Why traditional methods still win
These techniques have persisted because they work reliably over long timescales — leadwork installed using traditional methods decades ago is often still performing perfectly today.
Our leadwork team uses these traditional techniques on every job, old or new.