Kent · London and the South East
Electronic Leak Detection in Shipbourne
Electronic leak detection in Shipbourne, with over 20 years’ experience behind it. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Damage from equipment installers
- Waterproofing to test before it’s covered
- Leaks through a covered membrane
How electronic leak detection works in Shipbourne
Electronic leak detection works on many flat roof membranes, on homes, blocks and commercial buildings. It can be used to trace an existing leak or check a new membrane before handover. Each roof is quoted on its size and build-up. We can test on weekdays and at weekends when conditions allow. Just ask about your roof. Typical surveys look at damage from equipment installers and water coming in under a flat roof, across liquid-applied waterproofing, roof terraces and balconies and single-ply roofs.
In a small place like Shipbourne, a flat roof can stand in the open, which is hard on edges, upstands and joins in the covering. Older felt roofs, frequently around 15–20 years in life, show it first. EPDM rubber and GRP coverings last longer, but their edges and joints still need checking. On an exposed roof, the edges tend to go first.
We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Shipbourne (TN11)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Price
- Quoted for your roof
- Reports
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Last updated
- 27 October 2026
What electronic leak detection does not cover
Before booking, it is worth knowing what a survey will not do:
- Moisture spread under the membrane
- Roofs whose membrane or build-up isn’t suitable
- Sections we cannot safely access
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we’ll tell you. The full list of what we check.
Roofs we survey in Shipbourne
- Commercial flat roofs
- Green roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Single-ply roofs
Also near Shipbourne
What else we do in Shipbourne
Before and after the survey
Most of what helps is simple and safe from the ground. Our suggestions:
- Find the breach before more patching
- Let us know about the membrane and build-up if you know it
- Clear flat roof outlets regularly
- Test new membranes before covering them
Where the evidence points to walls, copings or rooflights, we will note it, with a suggestion of what to check next.
Limit foot traffic on flat roofs. Many breaches come from foot traffic.
Signs you need electronic leak detection in Shipbourne
A breach can be left during installation. Testing before the roof is covered or handed over helps find them.
We’re frequently asked to look at:
- Damp inside with no sign on the roof
- New membranes needing a check before handover
- Punctures from foot traffic or tools
- Breaches around outlets and penetrations
If you live in an older home near Church of St Giles, any flat roof added at the back or on a dormer is likely to be far younger, and less durable, than the main roof.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- When you will get the report
- Whether VAT is added on top
- How they plan to inspect the roof safely
- Whether they hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance
What we look for on each type of roof
Single-ply membranes
ELD often works on single-ply membranes, depending on the type and build-up.
Green and ballasted roofs
ELD is easier on a new roof before it is covered.
Local flat roofs in Shipbourne
With Ightham Mote about 1.1 miles north-west, Shipbourne sits in an area with a long building history. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. Across Kent, older roofs are frequently handmade clay or peg tiles, and tile-hanging on upper walls is a familiar sight. The county’s older buildings also include oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses. Flat roofs fill the gaps in between, on extensions, garages, dormers and business premises.
If you let a flat or house near Borough Green & Wrotham station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Shipbourne School, schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks.
Shipbourne is about 3 miles north of Tonbridge, in Kent. Houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings in Shipbourne can all book electronic leak detection, with a written report and photographs every time. Shipbourne is one of the places in Kent we cover for electronic leak detection. For surveys nearby, see our Maidstone page.
All of TN11 is covered for electronic leak detection, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need electronic leak detection at a property on Upper Green Road, Upper Green Lane and Back Lane or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover the places around Shipbourne: Budds (1 mile west), Yopps Green (1 mile north), Sheet Hill (2 miles north), Ivy Hatch (2 miles north) and Coldharbour (2 miles south-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Maidstone (11 miles east), Dartford (14 miles north), Sevenoaks (5 miles north-west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (8 miles south), Gravesend (13 miles north) and Tonbridge (3 miles south).
What’s near Shipbourne
Around Shipbourne, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Ivy Hatch Nature Reserve, Hugh Christie Technology College and The Chaser Public House and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Borough Green & Wrotham station, about 3.3 miles north of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Ightham Court (3.3 miles north) and Hadlow Tower museum (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Barden Lake.
What a survey costs
Prices always include VAT. What changes the price is:
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
- How tall the building is and how easy the roof is to see
- Features like valleys, chimneys, dormers and parapets
- The roof’s overall size
What a survey costs comes down to the roof itself: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how it can be reached and seen safely. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof.
Booking your survey
There’s no need for technical words. Just let us know:
- What kind of property and roof it is
- Pictures of the roof from a safe spot, if you have them
- The address and postcode of the property
- Dates you’re working to, such as exchange
If you have photos of the roof, send them over. Pictures from ground level or a window are fine; never climb up to get a better view. To get started, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email.
How the survey works
Time on site depends on the size and shape of the roof, but 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. You’re welcome to ask questions while we are there. In a small place like Shipbourne, 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.
- We start with what you know about the roof and the leak.
- We check whether the membrane and build-up suit ELD.
- We choose a low-voltage or high-voltage method to match the roof.
- We test the roof and locate any breaches.
- A report with photographs shows where each breach is.
How to prepare
- Let us know about parking before the day
- Have any paperwork from past roof work to hand
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
Arrange a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To find a date that works for you, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Advice
Shipbourne questions
Does a conservation area affect roof work in Shipbourne?
Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a 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.
Is Shipbourne in the area you cover?
Yes, Shipbourne is within the area we cover. We work right across London and South East England. Just ring 07833 053749 or send us an email and let us know about the property, and we’ll talk through which survey suits.
How does ELD work?
The waterproofing membrane normally stops an electrical current, so wherever there is a hole, it passes through. That is how we locate breaches you can’t see.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it is safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone.
What if it rains on the day?
Light rain is normally fine; heavy rain and wind are different. In high wind or heavy rain, a drone cannot fly and access may not be safe, so we’d move the date with you.
What happens after the survey?
You’ll receive the report by email, and you decide the next step: use it with a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent.
Do you use low-voltage or high-voltage testing?
The roof decides the method. We will explain why when we quote.