Lead-coated copper is already covered in this archive as a flashing and gutter material. As a roofing material, it deserves its own entry. The flat grey appearance, the paintability, and the long service life make it the correct specification for roofing applications where the green copper patina is wrong for the building — and there are many traditional New England buildings where it is wrong.
Matte grey, uniform, without the warmth of copper or the brightness of zinc. Left unfinished, it weathers to the same grey indefinitely — the lead coating stabilizes the surface against verdigris formation. Painted, it holds paint as well as any metal surface. It reads quietly on a roof — not the statement of copper, not the brightness of zinc, just a grey that belongs.
Lead-coated copper is 16-ounce or 20-ounce copper sheet with a thin lead coating (approximately 0.06 lbs per square foot each side) applied at the mill. The coating prevents verdigris formation and provides a paintable surface. It is installed by the same sheet metal contractors who install plain copper, using the same standing seam and flat seam systems.
Lead-coated copper behaves identically to plain copper in terms of thermal movement and service life. The lead coating does not reduce longevity — documented service lives exceed 80 to 100 years. Solder joints bond more readily to lead-coated copper than to plain copper.
On buildings where grey is the correct metal roof color — a white clapboard house, a building with a grey slate roof that requires a metal section — lead-coated copper provides the correct color with copper's durability. It avoids the decision between the warmth of plain copper and the cooler quality of zinc.
Through the same architectural sheet metal contractors who install plain copper. Specify by weight: 16-ounce lead-coated copper for standing seam slopes, 20-ounce for flat applications. The material is a specialty item and requires ordering — it is not a stock item at most suppliers.
Sixteen-ounce lead-coated copper, standing seam, for sloped roofing applications on traditional New England buildings where a matte grey metal roof is specified. Twenty-ounce for flat and low-slope sections. Same substrate, expansion, and installation requirements as plain copper. Paint with an oil-based alkyd paint if color other than natural grey is required.
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