Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Great Thorness
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching for Great Thorness, from an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photos.
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Cracked or missing flaunching
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
How a chimney survey works in Great Thorness
A damp patch on a chimney breast doesn’t always come from the same place. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Condensation inside an unventilated stack is another common cause. We check each possibility and record what we find. You then know where to start. If you’re worried about worn or missing pointing and staining on walls around the chimney, we can find out what’s behind it, on lead flashings, shared and party-wall stacks and chimney breasts alike.
Some older homes in villages like Great Thorness are listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. A roof report helps you plan work with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are often matched when work is done.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: your solicitor, the seller, your insurer, a roofer or the building’s managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Great Thorness (PO31)
- Region
- Isle of Wight
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Your questions about chimney surveys in Great Thorness
Do you cover smaller places like Great Thorness?
Yes, Great Thorness is on our map. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Great Thorness?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Ridges, verges, flashings and fixings are where it typically shows.
What do you check on a chimney?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. We also note leaning, redundant stacks and damp inside.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
Normally it is water getting in from outside, or condensation in a sealed stack. We check the stack, the flashings and how unused flues are capped and records the likely cause.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are experienced roof surveyors, and visible signs like sagging are noted, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. The report will say if you need an engineer.
What’s the best way to book?
To book, phone 07833 053749 or send us an email with the address, the type of property and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price and find a day that suits.
Can you survey a chimney stack we share with next door?
Yes. Shared stacks are common on terraced and semi-detached houses. We record the stack as far as we can see it and flag anything on the neighbour’s side.
Why it is worth a survey now in Great Thorness
Chimneys are easy to forget because you rarely see the top of them. Problems frequently go unnoticed until damp appears inside. Surveying the stack now can catch problems first. In a place like Great Thorness, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
Our price is from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on how big and how high the roof is, access and which survey you book.
Why us?
- Clear package prices, with VAT included
- Visits on any day of the week
- Over 5,000 surveys carried out
- Every finding written up with photos
Read how roof surveys are priced or what we found on two real jobs.
What we look for on each type of roof
Chimney pots and cowls
On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Poor capping can lead to damp inside the stack.
Rendered stacks
Water can get in through cracks and then struggle to dry out. Cracks are photographed and noted.
Towns and villages near Great Thorness
Also in Great Thorness
DIY checks: what’s safe
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.
Signs you need a chimney survey in Great Thorness
Aerials and dishes are frequently fixed to stacks. Their weight and the wind on them can loosen bricks and pointing. We check fixings on the stack as part of the survey.
A survey can pick up problems such as:
- Bricks with flaking faces
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Unused flues sealed without airflow
- Staining on walls around the chimney
For any home in Great Thorness, it’s the small, early fault that is cheapest to put right.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- What exactly goes into their report
- What insurance they carry
Tips from our surveys
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week:
- Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Don’t use a ladder to reach the stack yourself
Once we’ve been, the findings are written up with photos. It covers the pots, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings, and any damp we found inside. Basic reports arrive within 48 hours, Standard reports in 24 to 48 hours and Premium reports the same day.
Get small mortar repairs done while they’re small. It’s far simpler than rebuilding a stack later.
What we do, step by step
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the roof space is checked as well as the outside. Inside, we look for staining, damp, gaps and signs of movement. The whole visit typically takes an hour or two at a house, as part of a look at the roof around the stack. For a village or hamlet like Great Thorness, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start with the details: how many stacks, whether any are shared and any signs of damp.
- Each chimney is viewed from wherever it can be seen safely.
- The pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, brickwork and flashings are checked and photographed.
- We check the chimney breasts and the stack in the loft space where we can reach them.
- The findings are written up with photos and recommendations and emailed to you.
Getting ready for the survey
- Agree roof access with the managing agent if it’s shared
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Check the loft hatch can be reached
Book a survey
Not sure which survey you need? It’s easiest to call 07833 053749 or email us and describe the roof and what’s worrying you. We will explain the options and the price.
Related advice
Great Thorness homes and their roofs
Great Thorness lies within about 1 mile of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Near the sea, metal fixings wear faster and loose pieces on a roof are more likely to lift. Historic houses such as Swainston Manor, about 3 miles south, show how far back building in the area around Great Thorness goes. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first.
Great Thorness is about 3 miles south-west of Cowes, in the Isle of Wight. If you are in Great Thorness, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our area takes in places right across the Isle of Wight, from the larger towns to small villages. You can also see our page for Southampton.
We cover every part of the PO31 postcode area for chimney surveys and the streets around it. Close by, we survey roofs in Porchfield (1 mile south-west), Locksgreen (1 mile south-west), Rew Street (2 miles north-east), Newtown (2 miles south-west) and Northwood (2 miles north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Newport (3 miles south-east), Ryde (9 miles east), Cowes (3 miles north-east), Sandown (10 miles south-east), Shanklin (10 miles south-east) and Ventnor (11 miles south-east). Remote addresses need a little more planning, so tell us where you are as you book.
Local landmarks in Great Thorness
We work in homes and buildings around Sportsman's Rest pub, among other places. Nearby you will also find Carisbrooke Castle (3.5 miles south-east) and St Mary's Hospital (2.8 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Mill Hill.