Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Lowford
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Lowford. We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys across London and South East England.
- Worn or missing pointing
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Gaps where the stack meets the roof
Local roofs in Lowford
Lowford lies within about 2 miles of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Salt corrodes metal fixings and flashings, and wind lifts loose slates, tiles and ridge pieces. A number of Hampshire villages keep thatched roofs on their older buildings. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. On roofs like these, good slates or tiles can outlast the nails, battens, lead and mortar around them.
Medieval Merchant's House, about 3.7 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Lowford. Older roofs nearby often mix original materials with later repairs, and the survey shows where each one is. Take an older house close to St Paul’s Church: old fixings, lead flashings and tall chimneys are typical of older roofs.
Lowford is about 2 miles south-west of Hedge End, in Hampshire. Lowford is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Our area takes in places right across Hampshire.
Every address in SO31 is within our area for chimney surveys, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Local streets include Hamble Lane, St George Close and Woolwich Close, all of which we cover. If you’re just outside Lowford, we cover Old Netley (1 mile south-west), Bursledon (1 mile south-east), Butlocks Heath (1 mile south-west), Hound (1 mile south-west) and Netley (1 mile south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Winchester (12 miles north), Gosport (10 miles south-east), Havant (15 miles east), Eastleigh (5 miles north), Fareham (6 miles south-east) and Horndean (14 miles east).
What’s near Lowford
Typical jobs here are in homes near Oasis Academy Mayfield, Westwood Woodland Park and The Linden Tree pub. The closest station to Lowford is Bursledon station, roughly 0.9 miles south-east. Other landmarks nearby include Coldeast (2.3 miles south-east) and Netley Castle (1.9 miles south-west). Not far away are Netley Common.
About our chimney survey in Lowford
Our survey covers the structure of the stack and its weathering details. It is not a flue inspection, a sweep or a gas safety check. For the flue itself, you’ll need a sweep or, for gas appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer. We will tell you if we see anything that suggests they should take a look. We survey lead flashings, chimney pots and cowls and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are a stack that appears to lean and lifted or split lead flashings.
Trees around homes in smaller places like Lowford drop leaves, twigs and moss onto roofs and into gutters. Blocked gutters overflow and soak the walls below. A report spots that kind of slow problem before it becomes damp inside. Plants growing from a gutter or moss on the tiles are signs worth noting from ground level.
Where we can’t see part of the chimney stack, the report says so. You’ll know exactly what was inspected and what wasn’t.
- Place
- Lowford (SO31)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Cost
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You won’t see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from the ground.
It’s useful to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry.
Lowford: your questions answered
I let a flat near Bursledon station. Can you check the roof?
Yes, that’s a common request. We just need to know who will give access, and the report can go straight to you or your agent.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Lowford?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there is more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Will you check the loft?
Where it is relevant to the survey and there is safe access, yes. A clear path to the hatch helps.
What causes damp on a chimney breast?
There are a few common causes: cracked flaunching, worn pointing, failed flashings, uncapped pots, or damp trapped in an unventilated stack. We look at each one and note the most likely cause.
Is it a problem to have an unused chimney?
An unused stack still needs to stay weathertight and ventilated. If it’s capped without ventilation, damp can build up inside. Our survey records its condition and how it is capped, so you can plan what to do with it.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos. The most urgent items are made clear.
How can you see the top of the stack?
Each stack is viewed from the safest viewpoints: from ground level, windows and vantage points, and from the loft where there’s access. Our Premium Survey includes a drone inspection where applicable. We note anything we couldn’t see.
What we do, step by step
We don’t take risks to get a closer look. Everything that can safely be seen is inspected, and anything we cannot see is noted in the report. The survey normally takes roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, and more on a big or complicated roof. Homes around Lowford often have gardens on more than one side, which gives us room to step back and see the roof. Mention any side of the property we cannot get to. Inside, the loft is checked where it can be reached safely.
- First we talk through the stacks, their history and any problems.
- Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
- Pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing and flashings are checked and photographed.
- Inside, the chimney breasts and the loft are checked for damp where there is access.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
How to prepare
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
- Make sure we can get to the back of the property
How to book
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. For any other survey, just call 07833 053749 or email us when you are ready.
Related advice
Towns and villages near Lowford
Other services in Lowford
Tips from our surveys
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Look at the chimneys with binoculars after a storm
- Find out whether changes to a stack need permission
- Make sure unused flues are capped with ventilation
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. The photos show the problem and which side it is on, as far as we could see.
Have worn pointing and cracked flaunching dealt with early. Small repairs now can save bigger work later.
Do you need a chimney survey in Lowford?
Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead is also a target for theft.
Signs worth acting on include:
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Eroded joints in the brickwork
- Spalled or crumbling bricks
For businesses in and around places like Westquay, a roof report helps plan work around trading rather than after a leak.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- How long the report takes to arrive
- Whether you get a written report with photos
- Whether the price includes VAT
What we cannot see
It’s a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. Its limits include:
- Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we cannot access
- Flue inspections or sweeping
- Checks on boilers, fires or their flues
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before you book. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
For landlords and managing agents
Landlords, agents and building managers in Lowford and across Hampshire can book any of our surveys. For a price for a let property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Businesses and commercial landlords can book us too, including offices, shops and units. Larger roofs take longer.