Kent · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Hunters Forstal, Kent
We take a careful look at the chimney stack at your property in Hunters Forstal, with photos and a written report.
- Flashings pulling away from the stack
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
Chimney survey in Hunters Forstal: what you get
Damp on a chimney breast can have several causes. Water may be getting in at the top through cracked flaunching or an uncapped pot, through the brickwork, or at the flashings. Moisture trapped inside a stack with no ventilation can also cause damp. Our survey checks each of these and records the likely cause. That points the work in the right direction. Common reasons to book are unused flues sealed without airflow and bricks with flaking faces, on lead flashings, flaunching and chimney breasts.
Somewhere as small as Hunters Forstal, homes are often older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Roofs there can be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, and chimney stacks are often old. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. Chimneys and lead flashings on old roofs often need the most attention.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent, whichever applies.
- Location
- Hunters Forstal (CT6)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Check with the council before altering a stack in a conservation area or on a listed building
- Check unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Check fixings on the stack are secure
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
Once we have been, the findings are written up with photos. It explains the condition of each part of the stack and any damp inside. Turnaround is within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium.
Make sure redundant flues are capped with ventilation. That helps stop damp building up inside.
Landlords, agents and block managers in Hunters Forstal
Letting agents frequently book on a landlord’s behalf, with the report sent to whoever needs it. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
Shared roofs need a little more planning: we need access agreed with whoever owns or manages the building. Let us know about it when you book and we’ll plan the survey around it.
What we can’t see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Whether the flue is safe to use
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Whether a stack needs rebuilding on structural grounds
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What we look at
- Chimney breasts
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
Also near Hunters Forstal
What else we do in Hunters Forstal
Signs you need a chimney survey in Hunters Forstal
Removing a chimney breast inside can leave questions about how the stack is supported. We note what’s visible in the roof space and outside, and the report recommends a structural engineer if support is a concern.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Mortar washing out of the joints
- Gaps in the mortar around the pots
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
If you look after a building like Herne Church of England Infant School, long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
What to check before booking
- What follow-up you get after the report
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- Will the report include photos?
Hunters Forstal: your questions answered
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Hunters Forstal, take more of a battering?
Near the coast, roofs face more wind and more salt than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces.
Will you come out to Hunters Forstal?
We do. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What’s in the survey report?
It explains what we saw, what it means and what we’d suggest, with photographs throughout. It also says if any part of the roof couldn’t be seen safely.
What does a chimney survey cover?
Every part of the stack we can see from safe positions: from the pots and flaunching down to the flashings. Leaning, unused stacks and damp on chimney breasts are recorded too.
How long is the visit?
It typically takes about one to two hours on an ordinary house, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. The report follows by email.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Someone needs to let us in if we’re looking inside or in the loft. Access is agreed with you when you book.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We are roof surveyors, not structural engineers, and it does not include calculations. If we see signs that need an engineer’s opinion, we’ll recommend one.
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Hunters Forstal
Hunters Forstal is within about 2 miles of the coast, and places near the sea get more salt in the air and more wind than inland. Salt is hard on nails, clips and metal flashings, and strong wind lifts anything already loose on a roof, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Many older homes in Kent have handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles held by pegs through two holes, and tile-hanging on their upper walls. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Homes near green spaces such as Curtis Wood can get more leaves in their gutters in autumn, and an overflowing gutter soon means a wet wall. If you own a rental within reach of Herne Bay station, a roof report between tenancies helps plan work before a small defect becomes a tenant’s leak.
Hunters Forstal is about 1 mile south-east of Herne Bay, in Kent. If you are in Hunters Forstal, booking works exactly as it does anywhere else: a call or an email, a price, then a date. Our Kent coverage includes Hunters Forstal. There is also a page for Canterbury.
All of CT6 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. You’ll find streets such as Mill Lane, Kingsfield Road and Hunters Forstal Road, and we cover them all. Close by, we survey roofs in Broomfield (1 mile east), Herne (1 mile south-west), Herne Bay (1 mile north-west), Eddington (1 mile west) and Bullockstone (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Canterbury (6 miles south-west), Margate (11 miles east), Ramsgate (12 miles east), Broadstairs (12 miles east), Whitstable (5 miles west) and Deal (15 miles south-east).
Near you in Hunters Forstal
Around Hunters Forstal, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Herne Bay High School, The Huntsman And Horn Public House and Curtis Wood, among other places. The nearest railway station is Herne Bay station, roughly 1.1 miles north-west. A little further out are Whitstable and Tankerton Hospital (4 miles west) and Tankerton Castle (4.6 miles west). Open spaces near Hunters Forstal include West Blean and Thornden Woods.
Can I check my roof myself?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
After strong wind, take a look from the pavement or garden: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
What happens on the day
You don’t need to do much on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. The survey itself takes about 1–2 hours at a typical home, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. Older roofs in small places like Hunters Forstal can have low, tight loft spaces, so let us know about the loft hatch and any ladder. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- You tell us whether any stacks are shared, unused or leaning.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- The top of each stack is checked for cracked flaunching and loose pots.
- We note the brickwork, pointing and any sign of leaning.
- You receive a written report setting out what needs attention first.
How to prepare
- Jot down any questions you want answered
- Keep pets in another room
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Getting a price
Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. What you pay depends on the roof’s size, access and the package, and you can ring 07833 053749 or email us to find out.