Greater London · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Old Ford, Greater London
We take a careful look at the flat roof membrane at your property in Old Ford, with photos and a written report.
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Leaks through a covered membrane
- Damage from equipment installers
Electronic leak detection in Old Ford: what you get
There are different ELD methods. Low-voltage testing is usually done with the surface wet, while high-voltage testing needs a dry, exposed membrane. Which one suits depends on the membrane and the layers of the roof, and we will explain our choice. We’ll say if your roof does not suit either method before any testing starts. Common reasons to book are patched roofs that still leak and breaches around outlets and penetrations, across roof terraces and balconies, single-ply roofs and flat roof membranes.
Offices, shops and blocks of flats across London often have large flat roofs with plant, rooflights and walkways. Every penetration and upstand is a place where a membrane can fail. For a building in Old Ford, access is agreed with whoever manages the roof ahead of the visit. Plant bases, rooflights and cable entries are all places where water can get in.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that’s said too.
- Place
- Old Ford (E3, E15, E9)
- Region
- Greater London
- Cost
- Quoted for your roof
- Reports
- A written report with photos, by email
- When we survey
- Monday to Sunday, daytime
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we begin with a quick chat about the roof and anything that is worrying you. We then inspect everything that can safely be seen, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. The survey usually takes a time that depends on the membrane area and the build-up, and we’ll give you a guide when quoting. In a London area like Old Ford, the main things to sort out are parking and access: tell us about permits, visitor bays or off-street space, which floor the property is on and how to get into the loft. On the day, the roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from inside the roof space and from the roof where it is safe.
- We start by finding out what the roof is made of and where it leaks.
- The roof is assessed to see if electronic testing will work on it.
- We pick the low-voltage or high-voltage method that suits the roof.
- The roof is tested and any breaches are located.
- The breaches are recorded with photos in a report for your roofer.
Before the survey
- Buyers: confirm access with the estate agent or seller
- Check we can get to the back of the property
- Move anything stored under the loft hatch
Arrange a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so you have the findings in time to act on them before you exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Advice
Nearby places to Old Ford
What else we do in Old Ford
Should I look at the roof myself first?
A DIY look is useful, but it isn’t a survey. From ground level, valleys, flashings and the backs of chimneys are often out of sight.
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Roofs are fragile and slippery, and a fall can be serious. That is where a survey comes in.
Tips that help
Here are a few things we’d tell any owner:
- Note where leaks show inside and when
- Limit access to the roof
- Get leaks traced quickly
- Have roof specifications to hand
Questions about the results are welcome. We’ll explain what was found and what it means.
ELD before paving, ballast or planting goes on is worth considering. Finding breaches is simpler at that stage.
FAQs for Old Ford
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Old Ford?
Start with Historic England’s list for listing and your council for conservation areas. Either can affect what roof work is allowed, so it’s worth checking before planning any.
Can you look at the flat roof of a hotel or office near Old Ford?
Yes, commercial buildings, hotels included, are part of the work. Roof access is agreed with the building manager or owner beforehand.
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.
How does ELD work?
ELD passes a small electrical current across the roof to locate holes in the membrane. The current only gets through where the membrane is breached so we can pinpoint it.
Will I get photos?
Yes, plenty. Pictures sit next to the findings they show, which makes the report easy to follow.
Do you use drones?
Yes, where it’s applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain doesn’t usually stop a survey, and it can even help show where water is getting in. Strong wind or a downpour can stop drone flights and make roof access unsafe, so we will agree a new date if the weather is not suitable.
When you need someone else
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, and that sets some limits:
- Parts of the roof covered by fixed equipment
- Moisture spread under the membrane
- Roofs whose membrane or build-up isn’t suitable
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Old Ford
- Green roofs
- Single-ply roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Commercial flat roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
Flat roofs in Old Ford
The wider area around Old Ford has a long history of building, with Sutton House about 1.5 miles north-west. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof. There are several hotels within about a mile and a half of Old Ford, and hotels, like offices and blocks of flats, often have flat roofs. If you look after one, a leak through a flat roof can put a room out of use.
If you run a business near Westfield Stratford City, the flat roofs over shops and commercial units are worth checking before a leak, not after. For landlords with property near Hackney Wick station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Old Ford is about 2 miles west of Plaistow, in Greater London. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Old Ford can all book electronic leak detection, with a written report and photographs every time. Old Ford is one of the places in Greater London we cover.
Here we cover the E3, E15 and E9 postcode area for electronic leak detection. Streets in the area include Bow Road, Wick Lane and Dace Road, and we cover them all. We also cover the places around Old Ford: Donnybrook Quarter (1 mile west), Fish Island (1 mile north), Bow (1 mile south-west), Hackney Wick (1 mile north) and Bromley (1 mile south). We also work in nearby towns such as London (4 miles south-west), City of Westminster (6 miles west), Marylebone (6 miles west), Kensington (8 miles west), St Pancras (4 miles west) and Walthamstow (4 miles north).
What’s near Old Ford
We work in homes and buildings around The Lea Tavern, Grove Hall Park and Old Ford Primary - A Paradigm Academy and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is Hackney Wick station, roughly 0.6 miles north. A little further out are Tower of London (3 miles south-west) and St Clement's Hospital (0.7 miles south-west). Not far away are Hollow Pond and Old Ford Island.
Landlord and commercial surveys in Old Ford
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. Recommendations are set out in order of urgency where relevant.
For a freeholder or residents’ company, a roof report is a sound basis for a maintenance plan, putting the urgent items at the top.
What we’re asked to look at in Old Ford
Water travels under flat roof membranes. The stain inside can be far from the hole, so tracing it by eye is difficult.
Here are some of the things we see often:
- Waterproofing to test before it’s covered
- Patched roofs that still leak
- Leaks showing away from the breach
- Leaks through a covered membrane
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Mulberry UTC, a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Before booking any roof surveyor
- How long they’ve been surveying roofs
- What happens after the report arrives
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?
- How soon the report will arrive