Unclogging a roof valley is a rudimentary maintenance task and should be done whenever there is visible indication of congestion of the valley. On condition that safe access is obtainable, this can normally be done from a ladder.
Replacing elements of the valley
If the lead in the valley is split then substituting it is a medium sized job and should take around a day. The work includes stripping the tiles either side of the valley, putting up an access tower and getting rid of the old lead. The valley is usually sustained by wooden valley boards and these should be examined for r rot or damage and substituted if necessary. New lead to a minimum of code 4 or code 5 needs to be inserted.
The thickness of the lead flashing required depends on the width of the valley and on whether the tiles are pressed with grout and is typically in-between 350mm-650mm wide. A 100mm wide open valley would generally need an overlap of 100mm on either side of the valley so 300mm wide lead would be mandatory. The added lead would be welted and pressed over a lath to warrant water is kept in the valley. The lead will be placed in strips of about 1.5m long and then overlain. The tiles on the edge of the open valley will normally be nailed (slates) or bedded into mortar.
Cost of the process
For a reachable area on a two storey house total cost would be $550-$600. This will be made up of:
- $150-$200 Cost of constructing a scaffolding access tower
- $260 Labor (2 people for 1 day, 1 x $160 + 1 x $100)
- $130 New lead (6 meters of code 4 x 450mm width, code 5 lead would be around $30 more)
- $10 Other resources such as mortar and wood
Fiberglass GRP
As lead is so costly, many roofing companies will also propose a fiberglass GRP closed valley substitute which is less inclined to clog up and can be neater. This would lessen the cost by about $100 per valley although a payment would need to be made for the extra 30 or so additional tiles required to form a closed valley instead of an open valley. Contractors such as roofing contractors’ canton Michigan (for more information click here) can assist you with that.
Another choice in some cases is to use valley tiles which eliminate the need for a grp or lead valley. The row of slates just lingers round the join. The pitch of the two roofs does have to be precisely the same though.
Valley gutters are either where a wall and a roof meet or where two main roofs meet. The key trial is to guarantee that water in this this gutter pipes away. Usually valley gutters are somewhat stepped and sloped to allow a flow of water towards drainage. Valley gutters made of EPDM or lead can also be used.
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