Windsor and Maidenhead · London and the South East
Cookham Dean Chimney Survey
Wondering about the chimney stack at a property in Cookham Dean? We carry out chimney surveys in Cookham Dean and across Windsor and Maidenhead, with plain-English findings.
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Cracked or missing flaunching
Chimney survey in Cookham Dean: what you get
A chimney stands up above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. In time, flaunching cracks, mortar washes out and flashings come loose. That lets water into the brickwork, which can show up as damp on a chimney breast or in the loft space. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. Common reasons to book are gaps in the mortar around the pots and unused flues sealed without airflow, across flaunching, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney pots and cowls.
In a village or hamlet like Cookham Dean, older cottages and farmhouses often sit alongside barns, outbuildings and a few newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, frequently with chimneys that have stood a long time. We report on what can be seen safely, and thatch is a specialist material. On older roofs, it’s normally the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
We write the report in plain English, so you don’t need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to.
- Location
- Cookham Dean (SL6)
- Wider area
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Places near Cookham Dean
Other services in Cookham Dean
Tips that help
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Check your stacks from ground level after strong winds
- Have brackets on the chimney checked
- Have the flue swept and checked if you use the fire
- Keep the report to compare against at the next survey
If the stack is shared, you can pass the report to your neighbour. The photos show the problem and which side it is on, as far as we could see.
Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.
What we’re asked to look at in Cookham Dean
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead is also a target for theft.
It’s worth booking a survey if you’ve seen:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
The streets around a church such as Church of St John the Baptist are frequently among the oldest in a place, and if your home is one of the older ones nearby, its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- What exactly goes into their report
- What experience they bring
- How soon the report will arrive
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. We look for cracks, gaps around the pots and missing pieces.
Lead flashings
Lead flashings seal the joint between the stack and the roof. We check for lifting, splits and gaps in the joints.
Chimney surveys in Cookham Dean: local notes
Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles, with flat-roofed extensions, dormers and garages common everywhere. Whatever the covering, it is often the fixings, flashings, valleys and gutters that give out first. Cliveden, about 2.5 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Cookham Dean. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Landlords with a home close to Cookham station may find that a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let. Take a building like Cookham Dean CofE Primary School: a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.
Cookham Dean is about 2 miles south-east of Marlow, in Windsor and Maidenhead. In Cookham Dean, as across Windsor and Maidenhead, every roof gets the same careful survey. Cookham Dean is one of the places in Windsor and Maidenhead we cover. You can also see our page for Reading.
Here we cover the SL6 postcode area for chimney surveys. Streets in the area include Kings Lane, Popes Lane and Hills Lane, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in Cookham (1 mile east), Bisham (1 mile west), Furze Platt (2 miles south), Marlow (2 miles north-west) and Temple (2 miles west). Further out, we also cover Maidenhead (3 miles south), Windsor (7 miles south-east), Boyn Hill (3 miles south), North Ascot (10 miles south), Dedworth (7 miles south-east) and Broomhall (12 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Cookham Dean
We work in homes and buildings around Jolly Farmer pub and Furze Platt Senior School, among other places. Cookham Dean’s nearest station is Cookham station, roughly 1 mile east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Marlow Community Hospital (1.6 miles north-west) and Marlow Museum (1.5 miles north-west). For a walk, there’s Taplow Lake and Carpenter's Wood.
What happens on the day
You don’t need to do much on the day. Point out anything you’ve noticed, such as stains, drips or loose pieces, and we will get on with the inspection. A typical survey takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. Cottages and farmhouses around Cookham Dean frequently have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can safely be seen, and anything we can’t see is noted.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there’s access.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Before we arrive
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
Getting a price
Prices start from £150, including VAT. The exact figure depends on the roof and the package, and you can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form to find out.
Advice
Your questions about chimney surveys in Cookham Dean
Will you come out to Cookham Dean?
Yes, we do. We survey roofs across London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Can a landlord with a rental near Cookham station book a roof survey?
Yes, rented property is part of what we cover. You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the address and some details, including who will give access on the day.
What do I do with the report?
The report arrives by email, with photos and clear recommendations. With Standard there is a follow-up consultation; with Premium, an in-person consultation.
Is a leaning chimney dangerous?
A leaning stack should be looked at. We record the lean, the brickwork and the pointing, and recommend a structural engineer where it may be a structural concern.
What if it rains on the day?
A survey can normally go ahead in light rain. Strong wind or heavy rain can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so if conditions are not right we’ll arrange another day with you.
Is a chimney survey the same as a flue inspection?
No. We survey the stack and its weathering, not the flue. For the flue, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Will you go up on the roof?
Only where it’s safe to do so. We inspect what can safely be seen: from ground level, from windows and vantage points, from the loft space, from the roof itself where safe and by drone where it applies. The report says if anything couldn’t be seen.
When you need someone else
Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before you book. Bear these in mind:
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
- Lead flashings
- Brick chimney stacks
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks