Greater London · London and the South East
Chimney Survey in Mildmay
A survey of chimney stacks, pots, flashings and flaunching in Mildmay, carried out by an experienced roof surveyor. You get a clear written report with photographs.
- Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- A stack that appears to lean
Different roofs, different checks
Flaunching
Flaunching takes the worst of the weather. The survey checks for cracking and gaps around each pot.
Chimney pots and cowls
Pots sit in the flaunching on top of the stack, and cowls or caps sit on the pots. The survey looks for cracked, loose or missing pots and cowls.
How a chimney survey works in Mildmay
Chimney stacks take more weather than almost any other part of a house. Over the years, the flaunching cracks, the pointing wears and flashings lift. Water then gets into the stack and can show as damp on a chimney breast or a stain in the loft. A survey finds these problems and records them with photographs. We survey shared and party-wall stacks, chimney breasts and lead flashings, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are disused chimneys trapping moisture and frost-damaged brickwork on the stack.
Many London terraces have a butterfly roof, with two slopes meeting in a central valley gutter that drains to the rear. From the street you see only a parapet wall, so blocked outlets and split linings go unnoticed until water comes through a ceiling. For a house in Mildmay with this kind of roof, the hidden gutter is one of the first things to check.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Where
- Mildmay (N1, N16, E8)
- Region
- Greater London
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Checking the roof from ground level
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
It’s useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Chimney surveys in Mildmay: local notes
Close to the centre of London, a great many houses are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, many of them roofed in Welsh slate. Behind many of their parapets sit butterfly roofs and valley gutters that cannot be seen from the pavement. Lead flashings, party-wall upstands and shared chimney stacks are typical of these houses, if yours is one of them. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters. Sutton House, about 1.4 miles east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Mildmay. On older houses around here, roofs frequently carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.
Shop and office owners around Hackney Walk may find that knowing the roof’s condition lets you budget for work rather than pay for emergencies. For landlords with property near Dalston Kingsland station, a dated record of the roof is useful when planning maintenance across a let.
Mildmay is about 1 mile north of Hoxton, in Greater London. We visit Mildmay as part of our work across Greater London. Mildmay is one of the places in Greater London we cover for chimney surveys.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: N1, N16 and E8. Streets in the area include Dove Road, Essex Road and Burma Road. Being close to the A1199, Mildmay is simple for us to get to for chimney surveys. We also cover the places around Mildmay: Newington Green (1 mile north), De Beauvoir Town (1 mile south), Canonbury (1 mile south-west), Kingsland (1 mile south-east) and Highbury (1 mile west). Further out, we also cover London (3 miles south), City of Westminster (4 miles south-west), Marylebone (3 miles south-west), Kensington (6 miles south-west), Walthamstow (4 miles north-east) and Hampstead (4 miles west).
Local landmarks in Mildmay
In Mildmay, that means homes and buildings near City of London Academy Highbury Grove, Highbury Fields and Army and Navy pub and the streets around them. Mildmay has its own railway station: Dalston Kingsland station. A little further out are Clowns Gallery-Museum (0.6 miles south-east) and Hackney Walk (1.5 miles east). For a walk, there is Gillespie Park and Ludgate Hill.
For landlords and managing agents
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, with the most urgent items set out first.
If you own several properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the addresses.
The survey, step by step
Before we start, tell us why you’ve booked: buying, a leak, storm damage, new work or just wanting to know where things stand. That way we can focus on what matters to you. Most visits take about one to two hours for most homes, a little longer where there are several stacks. Many London properties are flats or terraces with no side access, so rear slopes are viewed from windows, the loft or, where a flight is allowed, by drone. If the building has a managing agent or access rules, let us know when you book.
- We start by noting which stacks are in use, shared or causing concern.
- The flashings and the roof around each chimney are inspected.
- We look at the flaunching and pots on every stack.
- Any lean, spalling or worn pointing is recorded.
- The report explains the condition and which work is most urgent.
How to prepare
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
- Dig out any old roof reports or invoices
Arrange a survey
If you are buying, it helps to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form whenever suits you.
Advice
Also in Mildmay
When to book a survey in Mildmay
Many chimneys are no longer used. A stack sealed without ventilation can trap damp. That can lead to damp patches on chimney breasts, even with the roof in good order.
People normally book a survey after spotting one of these:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Signs that a stack is leaning
If you look after a building such as Newington Green Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale.
Before booking anyone
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
Common questions in Mildmay
Is parking a problem for a survey in Mildmay?
Parking in Mildmay, as in most of London, takes a little planning: a visitor permit or a bay close to the door helps a lot, so mention what’s available as you book.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Mildmay?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you’re planning to re-roof in a different material.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. It’s a specialist roof survey, not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 building survey. It focuses on the roof, so it sits alongside a building survey rather than replacing it.
Do you look in the loft space?
If there’s a loft and safe access to it, yes. From inside, the underside of the roof often shows damp, staining or daylight that cannot be seen from outside.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes. Photos are part of every report, so you can see exactly what each finding refers to.
How long will you be at the property?
Most surveys take about 1–2 hours at a typical home, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. We will confirm the timing when you book.
Can you survey a shared roof?
Yes, if the freeholder or managing agent agrees access. On a shared roof we can only inspect the parts we are allowed to reach, and the report makes that clear.
Before and after the survey
A little preparation and a few simple habits help. Our tips:
- Check that disused chimneys can still breathe
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Note any damp on chimney breasts and when it appears
- Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed
With a shared stack, the report can help when talking to next door. It shows what we found and where, as far as we could see.
Check your stacks from the street or garden after a storm. With binoculars, you can frequently see cracked flaunching or lifted lead.