Kent · London and the South East
Electronic Leak Detection in New Barn
Electronic leak detection to pinpoint holes in flat roof membranes across New Barn, with drones and thermal imaging where they help. Get in touch for a price.
- Repairs that haven’t stopped the leak
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
- Breaches hidden under paving or planting
Electronic leak detection in New Barn: local notes
New Barn lies within about 5 miles of the sea, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. On a flat roof near the sea, edge trims and upstands take the brunt of the wind, and metal parts corrode faster. Across Kent, older roofs are often handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. Kent’s older buildings take in oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses as well. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
Landlords with a home close to Longfield station may find that flat roofs over rear additions and dormers in rented property are worth checking between tenancies. With Cobham College about 3.1 miles east, the area around New Barn has a long history. On a period home nearby, any flat roof is likely to be a later addition with its own lifespan.
New Barn is about 3 miles south of Northfleet, in Kent. New Barn gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful look at whatever is safely visible, photos and a clear written report. Our Kent coverage includes New Barn and the places around it. Maidstone is in our area too.
Here we cover the DA3 and DA13 postcode area for electronic leak detection. That includes homes and businesses on The Maples, Kenwood Avenue and Merileys Close and the roads around them. Close by, we survey roofs in Longfield Hill (1 mile south-east), Longfield (1 mile west), Hartley (1 mile south-west), Nash Street (1 mile east) and Meopham (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (12 miles south-east), Dartford (6 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (10 miles south-west), Gravesend (3 miles north-east), Tonbridge (14 miles south) and Northfleet (3 miles north).
Around New Barn
Around New Barn, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Istead Rise Primary School and Rectory Meadow. The nearest railway station is Longfield station, roughly 1.2 miles west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Gravesham Museum (3.6 miles north-east) and Stone Castle (3.9 miles north-west). Open spaces near New Barn include Sawyers Lake.
Electronic leak detection in New Barn
Electronic testing locates holes in the waterproofing but not every way water gets in. Leaks from walls, copings, rooflights or pipes need other checks. If the evidence points elsewhere, we will say so. It will not show water getting in through brickwork or around frames. Our report keeps that distinction clear. You will also know what to check next. We survey commercial flat roofs, green roofs and roof terraces and balconies, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are failed seams and laps and waterproofing to test before it’s covered.
Around a smaller place like New Barn, flat roofs usually cover extensions, garages and dormers. Even a small flat roof can let plenty of water into the room below. What it is covered in, and how well it was laid, decides what it needs, from felt and asphalt to EPDM rubber and GRP. Ponding, splits and lifting edges are the signs to look for from a window.
Findings are set out part by part, from the coverings down to the gutters, with a note and a photo for each point. It records what’s sound as well as what isn’t.
- Place
- New Barn (DA3, DA13)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Survey days
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
Common questions in New Barn
How do I find out if my home in New Barn is listed?
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.
Is New Barn within the area you cover?
Yes, New Barn is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
Will you photograph what you find?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show.
What does the report include?
You get our findings in writing, part by part, with photos, and ends with what we recommend. The most urgent items are made clear.
What does electronic leak detection do?
A sound membrane blocks the test current, but a hole lets it through. That is how we locate breaches you can’t see.
Is this a RICS 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.
How experienced are you?
We’ve completed more than 5,000 surveys, over more than 20 years.
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner, before and after a survey:
- Avoid repeated repairs without finding the cause
- Limit access to the roof
- Clear flat roof outlets regularly
- Let us know about the membrane and build-up if you know it
If we think the leak is not coming through the membrane, the report says so, so other causes can be checked.
Clear flat roof outlets regularly. Standing water puts more pressure on any weak point.
The survey, step by step
Photos are taken throughout the visit, so the report shows exactly what we saw. Close-ups come from the safest viewpoint available, including by drone where it is applicable and the weather allows. A typical visit takes longer on a large roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. In a smaller place like New Barn, as anywhere, the forecast plays a part: drone flights and thermal imaging need the right conditions, while a look from the ground and the loft can go ahead in most weather.
- First, we confirm which roof areas are included.
- We get the roof ready for testing.
- Testing runs across the agreed area.
- We mark the breach locations in our records.
- You receive the results to pass to your roofer.
Before we arrive
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we are looking at
- Make sure the loft hatch can be reached
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
Book a survey
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Take them safely from ground level or a window, and please don’t climb up for a closer look. To send them or to book, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email.
Advice
What we’re asked to look at in New Barn
Work on the roof can damage a membrane. Engineers fitting equipment, solar panels or aerials may leave damage behind.
A survey makes sense if you’ve noticed:
- Holes around roof penetrations
- Leaks that return after repairs
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
If your home is one of the older ones in the streets near Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, flat-roofed rear additions and dormers added over the years are worth checking.
What to check before booking
- Is there a chance to talk the report through?
- Are they insured for the work?
- If they fly a drone, whether they hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID
- Whether the price includes VAT
What you can safely check yourself
Watch the gutters in a downpour, from a window or the ground. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
A DIY look is useful, but it is not a survey. You will not see flashings, valleys or the backs of chimneys properly from ground level.
Also near New Barn
What else we do in New Barn
Honest limits
No survey can tell you everything, and it is better to know them up front. Keep these in mind:
- Roofs whose membrane or build-up isn’t suitable
- Leaks from plumbing or windows
- The extent of water in the insulation
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will give you a straight answer before booking. What a survey covers and does not.
What this survey covers
- Single-ply roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Green roofs
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Roof terraces and balconies
How the survey changes by roof type
Liquid-applied waterproofing
Liquid-applied coatings form a seamless layer but holes and thin areas can occur. Suitability for ELD depends on the system.
EPDM rubber roofs
EPDM is a long-lasting flat roof membrane, but punctures and seam failures still happen.