Metal Capping & Flashings
Water Gets Into Buildings Through Parapets and Copings. We Stop It With Properly Fabricated Metal Cappings.
Parapets, ridges, coping stones, and roof edges — the places where water finds its way in. We fabricate and install bespoke metal cappings that protect these vulnerable details permanently.
Parapets and Copings: The Hidden Leak Source
Building owners spend thousands waterproofing their roof — then ignore the parapets. Water enters through cracked coping joints, failed DPC trays, and eroded mortar beds. It tracks down inside the cavity wall, saturates insulation, and appears as damp patches on internal walls — often metres from the actual entry point.
Concrete copings with mortar joints are particularly prone to failure. Thermal movement opens the joints, water gets in, freeze-thaw cycles crack the concrete, and within ten years the entire parapet needs rebuilding.
A properly fabricated metal capping eliminates all of these failure points in one installation.
Common Capping Failures We See
- Cracked concrete coping joints letting water into the cavity
- Pressed steel cappings with corroded fixings and open laps
- Missing or perished DPC trays beneath copings
- Mastic-sealed joints that have split or shrunk
- Lead flashings that have been stolen or lifted by wind
- Render cracking on parapet faces from water saturation
How We Solve It
Bespoke metal cappings and flashings — measured, fabricated, and installed by Vanguard.
Watertight Parapet Protection
Bespoke metal cappings that shed water away from the building. No ponding on parapet tops, no water tracking down into the cavity wall beneath.
Fabricated to Measure
Every capping is measured, templated, and fabricated to fit your building exactly. No off-the-shelf sections forced to fit with mastic and hope.
All Metals Supplied
Aluminium (mill, polyester powder coated, or anodised), zinc, copper, lead, and stainless steel. We specify the right metal for the application and environment.
Wind Uplift Resistant
Secret-fix clip systems designed to resist wind uplift loads calculated to BS EN 1991-1-4. No exposed fixings to corrode or leak.
Integrated With Waterproofing
Because we install the roof membrane too, the capping and waterproofing are designed as one system. No gap between trades.
Replacement & Retrofit
We remove failing concrete copings, pressed steel cappings, and lead flashings and replace them with modern, maintenance-free metal capping systems.
What We Fabricate & Install
Commonly Asked Questions
What is the difference between a coping and a capping?
A coping is a separate unit (stone, concrete, or metal) that sits on top of a parapet wall. A capping is a metal cover that wraps over the top and down both sides. We install both, but metal cappings are generally more reliable because they shed water positively and have fewer joints to fail.
My parapet is leaking but the roof membrane looks fine. Why?
Water is almost certainly entering through the parapet coping joints, through cracked render, or through failed DPC details. Parapets are one of the most common leak sources on flat-roofed buildings. A properly designed metal capping with a concealed DPC tray solves this permanently.
Can you match the colour of our existing building cladding?
Yes. Polyester powder coated aluminium is available in any RAL colour. We can match your existing cladding, window frames, or any other colour reference you provide.
How much does metal capping cost?
Aluminium parapet capping typically costs £40–£80 per linear metre supplied and installed, depending on girth (how wide the parapet is), metal type, and access. We measure, quote, and fabricate to order.
Do you do lead flashings as well?
Yes. We install code 4 and code 5 lead flashings, stepped flashings, cover flashings, and valley linings. Where appropriate, we also specify lead-alternative products like Ubiflex for situations where lead theft is a risk.