Hampshire · London and the South East
Chimney survey in Sandy Balls, Hampshire
Know where you stand with the chimney stack before you spend money on it. We carry out chimney surveys in Sandy Balls.
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- A chimney out of line
Roof by roof
Chimney breasts and the loft
Stains on timbers or brickwork around the stack can point to a leak. We record what we see with photos.
Flaunching
Cracked flaunching is one of the most common chimney defects we record. It’s usually a modest repair when it is caught early.
About our chimney survey in Sandy Balls
Redundant chimneys are common, particularly where fires have been replaced by central heating. A disused stack still needs looking after. Capping a stack without ventilation can trap moisture and lead to damp inside. We check how redundant stacks have been capped and look for damp in the chimney breasts. The report sets out what we found and what we recommend. We survey chimney pots and cowls, flaunching and brick chimney stacks, and the problems we are asked to look at most are damp patches on chimney breasts and redundant stacks capped without ventilation.
Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, which is hard on ridges, chimneys, flashings and gutters. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.
After the visit, you get a written report with photos, emailed to you. It explains the condition of the chimney stack, the defects we found and what we recommend.
- Place
- Sandy Balls (SP6)
- Region
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Common roof problems in Sandy Balls
Where a chimney meets the roof, lead flashings keep water out. With age they can lift, split or come away from the joints. When flashings fail, water often shows up in the loft or on the chimney breast. Lead flashings can also be stolen.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Flaunching that has broken away
- Pots or cowls that look unsafe
- Redundant stacks capped without ventilation
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Take a building like The Burgate School and Sixth Form: large buildings have long gutter runs and big roofs that need checking like any other.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- When you’ll get the report
Honest limits
In fairness, there are limits to any roof survey:
- What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up
- Whether a gas appliance or its flue is safe
- Flue inspections or sweeping
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book. What a survey covers and does not.
Roofs we survey in Sandy Balls
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney breasts
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
Also in Sandy Balls
Checking the roof from the ground
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.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Take a photo and write down when you saw it.
Chimney surveys in Sandy Balls: local notes
Historic houses such as Breamore House, about 2.9 miles north, show how far back building in the area around Sandy Balls goes. If you own one of the older houses, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Some Hampshire villages still have thatched roofs. In this part of the South East, older roofs are mostly slate or clay tile and many newer ones concrete tile. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
If you live in an older home near St Giles, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Sandy Balls is in Hampshire. Roofs in Sandy Balls get the same thorough look as anywhere else in Hampshire. Our Hampshire coverage includes Sandy Balls and the places around it. You can also see our page for Southampton.
Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: SP6. Streets in the area include The Pines, River Road and Larch Row, all of which we cover. We also cover the places around Sandy Balls: Godshill (1 mile north-east), Criddlestyle (1 mile south-west), Blissford (1 mile south), Stuckton (1 mile south-west) and Frogham (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover Totton (11 miles east), Lymington (15 miles south-east), Romsey (13 miles east), New Milton (13 miles south), Ringwood (6 miles south) and Barton on Sea (14 miles south).
Local landmarks in Sandy Balls
In Sandy Balls, that means homes and buildings near The Fighting Cocks pub. Other landmarks nearby include Fordingbridge Doll Museum (1.3 miles west) and Godshill Castle Hill (0.9 miles north). Not far away are Linbrook Lake and Blashford Lakes.
What happens on the day
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes an hour or two for a house, and about three to four hours for a commercial roof. You are welcome to ask questions while we’re there. Older rural homes like those around Sandy Balls can have a main roof, lower lean-to roofs and outbuildings all joined together. We work round each section in turn, from the safest viewpoints.
- 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.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- You get a written report with photos and recommendations by email.
Before we arrive
- Check pets are kept safely away
- Note where any stains or damp appear
- For flats, check roof access has been agreed
How to book
When you’re ready to go ahead, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form. From there it’s a case of choosing a package, agreeing the price and fixing a day, weekday or weekend.
Related advice
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Never climb onto the roof to look at a chimney
If the report recommends a structural engineer, a sweep or a Gas Safe registered engineer, it will say why. It gives them a clear starting point.
Keep an eye on chimney breasts for new damp patches. Early signs are easier to trace.
Common questions in Sandy Balls
Will you come out to Sandy Balls?
Yes, Sandy Balls is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house.
Is my home in Sandy Balls listed or in a conservation area?
You can check whether a building is listed on Historic England’s list, and your council can tell you if it is in a conservation area. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest, and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material.
Which parts of the chimney do you look at?
The survey covers the pots and cowls, the flaunching, the pointing, the bricks and the flashings. Inside, we look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. Everything is written up with photographs.
Should I worry about a leaning stack?
Do not ignore it. Leaning often comes from mortar breaking down unevenly. We record its condition with photographs, and a structural engineer can assess whether it needs work.
How long will you be at the property?
Expect it to take roughly 1–2 hours on an ordinary house, or half a day or so for a commercial building. You will then get the report by email, on the timescale of your package.
Will you check the chimney is safe to use with a fire?
No. Our survey covers the outside of the stack and the roof around it. For the flue, you will need a sweep or, for gas, a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones cannot fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We will rearrange with you if the weather is not right.