Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Chilton, Oxfordshire
Need electronic leak detection in Chilton? We can help, with a written report you can act on. Book a weekday or weekend visit.
- Damage from equipment installers
- Patched roofs that still leak
- Waterproofing to test before it’s covered
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A lot can be seen from the ground. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Please do not climb up for a closer look.
It helps to keep a record: dates of leaks, photos from ground level and any work done on the roof. Send it with your enquiry and it will help the survey.
Electronic leak detection in Chilton: what you get
Our ELD report shows where each breach was found with photos. It tells your roofer exactly where to repair rather than guessing. Repair costs are not part of the report, so your roofer prices the work. Testing again after repairs can confirm the breaches have been dealt with, where the roof still suits the method. You get a written report with photos. Common reasons to book are holes around roof penetrations and punctures from foot traffic or tools, on roof terraces and balconies, commercial flat roofs and flat roof membranes.
Some older homes in villages like Chilton are listed or in a conservation area, and that can affect how an extension roof or dormer is re-covered. If you are planning work, check with the council first. Knowing the roof’s condition is the starting point. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest.
We keep jargon out of it: where something needs attention, it says so plainly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Chilton (OX11)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Also in Chilton
What we look for on each type of roof
EPDM rubber roofs
Certain rubber membranes are conductive which can limit electronic testing. We’ll tell you if yours is not suitable.
Liquid-applied waterproofing
Small holes in liquid waterproofing may leak. ELD can help locate them on suitable roofs.
What we cannot see
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- The extent of water in the insulation
- Carrying out the repair work
- Build-ups without a suitable layer below
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll tell you before booking. What our survey covers.
What we check
- Green roofs
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Single-ply roofs
Do you need electronic leak detection in Chilton?
If a flat roof keeps leaking after patching, the hole may be elsewhere. ELD can locate the breach more precisely.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Damage from equipment installers
- Leaks that return after repairs
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
Take a building like Chilton County Primary School: a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How they’ll see the roof: from ground level, the loft, the roof or by drone
- What’s outside the scope of the survey
- What happens after the report arrives
- How long the report takes to arrive
Questions from Chilton
Do you cover smaller places like Chilton?
We do. A small place gets exactly the same survey as a big one, with the route planned beforehand.
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Chilton?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. A change of roofing material may need consent in either case, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Do you take photos of the roof?
Yes. Photographs are part of every report, so you can see each point for yourself.
What is electronic leak detection?
It uses an electrical current to find breaches in a flat roof membrane. The current only gets through where the membrane is breached, which shows us where the hole is.
Is this a RICS survey?
No. We’re experienced roof surveyors, and our survey covers the roof rather than the whole building. If you need a full building survey, you will need a RICS survey as well.
Will you walk on the roof?
Only when it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where it applies, a drone, and the report notes anything we couldn’t see.
When does the report arrive?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. Mention any deadline when booking.
The survey, step by step
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof; as a rough guide, the survey takes a time that depends on the size of the roof and how it’s built, and we’ll give you a guide when quoting. If you have questions on the day, just ask. In a small place like Chilton, access is typically the main thing to plan. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages you want included, and anything about the roof you already know. Weekday and weekend visits are available.
- You tell us about the roof and where water is showing.
- We check whether the membrane and build-up suit ELD.
- The test method is chosen to suit the roof.
- We test the roof and locate any breaches.
- A report with photos shows where each breach is.
Before we arrive
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Point out any leaks or damp patches
- Have any questions written down, so nothing gets missed
Arrange a survey
Every survey is priced before it’s booked, so you know the cost up front. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof. To book, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Read more
What electronic leak detection looks like in Chilton
There are about 500,000 buildings on England’s list of listed buildings, and around 10,000 conservation areas. If your home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission, so check with the council. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. Next to the main roofs there is usually a flat roof somewhere, whether on an extension, a garage or a commercial unit.
For an older house near a landmark like Church of All Saints, the flat roofs on later extensions tend to wear out long before the main roof. If you own a rental within reach of Didcot Parkway station, flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies.
Chilton is about 4 miles south-west of Didcot, in Oxfordshire. Whether the building in Chilton is a house, a flat or a commercial unit, the roof can be surveyed on a weekday or at the weekend. Chilton is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work. For surveys nearby, see our Oxford page.
All of OX11 is within our area for electronic leak detection. That includes homes and businesses on Main Street, Lawson Lane and Crafts End and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Chilton: Upton (2 miles north-east), West Hagbourne (2 miles north-east), Harwell (2 miles north), Coscote (2 miles north-east) and Blewbury (3 miles east). Within a short drive, we also cover Oxford (13 miles north), Didcot (4 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (8 miles north), Wantage (6 miles west), Grove (6 miles north-west) and Faringdon (14 miles north-west).
Around Chilton
We work in homes and buildings around Crown at Chilton pub and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Didcot Parkway station, about 3.7 miles north-east of the centre. A little further out are Atlas Computer Laboratory (1 mile north-west). Open spaces near Chilton include Mowbray Fields and Churn Hill.
Tips from our surveys
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They’re worth knowing whatever the roof:
- Keep foot traffic on flat roofs to a minimum
- Make sure trades protect the waterproofing
- Check new waterproofing before handover
- Find the breach before more patching
You receive a report showing where each breach was found, with photographs. Your roofer uses it to carry out repairs.
Consider testing a new membrane before it is covered. Finding breaches is simpler at that stage.