Hertfordshire · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Essendon, Hertfordshire
Find out the condition of the flat roof membrane at your property in Essendon from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Holes around roof penetrations
- Repairs that haven’t stopped the leak
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
Can I check my roof myself?
After heavy rain, check ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains. Take a photo and write down when you saw it, as it helps a surveyor trace the cause.
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from the ground or a window. Overflowing water can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
How electronic leak detection works in Essendon
ELD is a way of pinpointing breaches in a flat roof’s waterproofing membrane. It uses a small electrical current that passes through the membrane only where there’s a breach. That lets us locate holes that are too small to see so your roofer knows exactly where to repair. The results come in a report with photos. If you’re worried about damage from equipment installers and gaps at membrane joints, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Some older homes in villages like Essendon are listed or in a conservation area, which can shape what a new flat roof may look like. Check with the council before planning any change of material. Knowing the roof’s condition is the starting point. Listed building consent is needed for changes that affect a listed building’s special interest.
Most points in the report come with a picture, so you can see each defect rather than just read about it. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Essendon (AL9)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Cost
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- A written report with photos, by email
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Also near Essendon
Also in Essendon
Common roof problems in Essendon
On a flat roof, water spreads under the waterproofing. The leak may show some distance from where water gets in, so tracing it by eye is difficult.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Breaches around outlets and penetrations
- Leaks through a covered membrane
- Gaps at membrane joints
- Water coming in under a flat roof
If you let a flat or house near Bayford station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Before you book anyone
- Whether VAT is added on top
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Whether any drone flown is registered with the CAA
- Their track record with similar roofs
Practical tips
Some practical points come up on survey after survey. They apply to most roofs:
- Keep outlets clear of debris
- Keep a note of leaks after rain
- Avoid repeated repairs without finding the cause
- Stay off the flat roof unless needed
If we think the leak is not coming through the membrane, the report says so, with a suggestion of what to check next.
Act on leaks quickly. The longer water gets in, the more insulation and decking can be affected.
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that’s worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen. The survey typically takes more time on a big roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. Somewhere like Essendon needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start with what you know about the roof and the leak.
- The roof is assessed for suitability first.
- We choose a low-voltage or high-voltage method to match the roof.
- The membrane is tested and breaches are found.
- You get a report with photos of each breach.
Getting ready for the survey
- Have keys ready for side gates, garages or roof access doors
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Make sure pets are kept safely away
Book a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.
Advice
What a survey costs
A few things affect what a survey costs:
- How complicated the roof is, with its valleys, chimneys and parapets
- The use of thermal imaging or a drone
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Building height and the viewpoints available
For a price for your roof in Essendon, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Booking your survey
We’ll typically ask about:
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Photos of the roof, taken safely from the ground or a window
- Why you want a survey: buying, a leak, a storm or new work
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or email us.
Local flat roofs in Essendon
Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates, and flat-roofed additions turn up almost everywhere. Alongside them, flat-roofed extensions, dormers, garages and commercial units are common almost everywhere. Hatfield House, about 2.4 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Essendon. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
Anyone responsible for a site like Essendon CofE (VC) Primary School will know that schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary the Virgin, flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
Essendon is about 3 miles south-east of Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire. We carry out electronic leak detection in Essendon for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Our area takes in places right across Hertfordshire, from the larger towns to small villages. We also survey roofs in London.
We cover every part of AL9 for electronic leak detection and the streets around it. We cover properties on Rectory Close, Church Street and School Lane. If you’re just outside Essendon, we cover West End (1 mile west), Little Berkhamsted (1 mile south-east), Letty Green (2 miles north-east), East End Green (2 miles north-east) and Bayford (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns like Watford (13 miles south-west), Hemel Hempstead (13 miles west), Stevenage (10 miles north), St Albans (8 miles west), Bishop's Stortford (15 miles north-east) and Welwyn Garden City (3 miles north-west).
Near you in Essendon
In Essendon, that means homes and buildings near The Salisbury Crest Public House, among other places. Essendon’s nearest station is Bayford station, about 2.5 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (2 miles north-west) and The Bunker at Hatfield Police Station (3.6 miles west). Open spaces near Essendon include Willowmead.
FAQs for Essendon
Is Essendon in the area you cover?
Yes, Essendon is within the area we cover. We cover the whole of London and South East England. You can phone 07833 053749 or email us with the address and a few details.
Is Essendon within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work right across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Is it a structural engineer’s report?
No. We note visible signs like sagging or deflection, but we don’t carry out calculations or give an engineer’s opinion. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
How do you choose the testing method?
The roof decides the method. We will explain why when we quote.
Is my roof suitable for ELD?
It depends on the membrane and the build-up. Share any details you have and we will check whether ELD will work.
What happens next?
You will receive the report by email, and what you do next is up to you: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
Can you survey at the weekend?
We survey seven days a week: Monday to Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Let us know which days suit you when booking.
When you need someone else
We only report what can be seen safely on the day, so there are some things a survey cannot cover:
- Build-ups without a suitable layer below
- How wet the insulation is
- Water entering through details rather than the membrane
If you are not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or email us and we will give you a straight answer before you book. What our survey covers.
Roof types and parts we check
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Green roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Single-ply roofs
- Flat roof membranes