Think Lead
More durable - Lead lasts three times longer than other man-made products.
More carbon friendly - Lead has the lowest carbon footprint of all hard metals and is up to 100% recyclable.
More economical than any man-made alternative - Lead is 100% more cost effective over 65 years*
Find out about lead's excellent green credentials by watching our new film Lead - the eco story
Green Benefits
Now included in the BRE Green Guide, lead has been proven to be one of the greenest building materials available. In most standard lead roofing and vertical cladding installations, lead has a rating of A or A+, has a significantly lower carbon footprint than comparable external wall and roofing specifications, and its Eco points - the degree to which a material impacts on the environmental performance of a building - measure very favourably.
Find out more about the findings of lead in the BRE Green Guide by clicking here.
The Truth About Lead
Some manufacturers of man-made alternatives are making claims about Lead, which are simply false. The LSA takes a closer look at what they are saying and set the record straight.
Click here to find out the facts
New initiatives beat metal theft down
The Lead Sheet Association has produced an information sheet outlining the latest strategies and successes in the on-going fight against metal theft. You can view a region-by-region analysis of how metal theft has fallen during 2012, and find out what is being done by the relevant authorities to keep the metal theft crime numbers falling.
The information sheet can be accessed by clicking here.
Research undertaken by the LSA
Many people know lead as a traditional material used in historic buildings or conservation projects. However, it is still the product of choice for specifiers looking for great aesthetic qualities as well as peace of mind on a project due to lead’s longevity and reliability.
The LSA has worked with some key organisations in the construction industry to examine more closely the properties and benefits of using lead, particularly in relation to its economic, technical and environmental characteristics.
This is a short film called ‘The truth about lead’, which encapsulates some of those findings in a succinct and entertaining way. Why not take a look?
Key Findings
The research, carried out in conjunction with The Building Research Establishment and Franklin + Andrews is summarised below.
Rolled lead sheet used in construction outperforms competing manmade products such as flashings, and hard metals, on many fronts:
- The carbon footprint of lead, compared with other hard metals, is extremely low making it a very environmentally friendly material.
- Its lifespan also means it lasts a generation without having to be replaced - on average more than three times longer than other proprietary flashing products.
- There is an established recycling infrastructure so almost 100% of the waste can be re-used.
- Lead’s longevity means that architects can safely use it in designs needing to comply with Euro code requirements for a 60 year design life.
- Lead installation is not impacted by damp or cold weather conditions, thereby minimising project delays.
- Working with lead is a highly skilled job and will more likely be undertaken by skilled tradesman, thereby minimising the risks of employing unskilled labour using other products.
- The economic benefits of using lead also came through strongly. Over a 40 year period lead can be up to 50% cheaper than manmade flashing products and over 65 years it is almost 100% cheaper.
Lead is considered so safe and reliable that it is possible to obtain a 25 year insurance backed guarantee covering the material and installation when it is installed by an LCA (Lead Contractors Association) accredited contractor.
Research Summary & Comparison Tables
We have also drawn up a number of tables for ease of comparison with other metals and manmade products. The research identified some key points which might often be overlooked.
For more information, please contact our Technical Team.
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
