Kent · London and the South East
Electronic Leak Detection in Smeeth
Not sure what state the flat roof membrane is in? We carry out electronic leak detection in Smeeth and across Kent, with plain-English findings.
- Gaps at membrane joints
- Damage from equipment installers
- Leaks through a covered membrane
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Keep a note of leaks after rain
- Have roof specifications to hand
- Don’t let outlets block
- Avoid repeated repairs without finding the cause
The report records each breach location with photos. Pass it to your roofer to repair the breach points.
Clear flat roof outlets regularly. Water that sits on the roof finds breaches faster.
Electronic leak detection in Smeeth
Electronic leak detection, or ELD, finds holes in flat roof waterproofing membranes. It uses a small electrical current which can only get through the membrane at a breach. It can find holes too small to spot by eye so your roofer knows exactly where to repair. You get a photo-illustrated written report of each breach found. We survey commercial flat roofs, flat roof membranes and green roofs, and common reasons people get in touch are punctures from foot traffic or tools and leaks under green or ballasted roofs.
Somewhere as small as Smeeth, flat roofs tend to be on extensions, garages and converted outbuildings. They need the same care as any town roof: outlets, upstands, edges and the covering itself. The journey and access are planned beforehand. If there are outbuildings or garages with flat roofs, mention them when you book.
The report is yours to share with whoever needs it: a seller or estate agent, an insurer, a roofer, a builder or a managing agent.
- Location
- Smeeth (TN25)
- Region
- Kent
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
For landlords and managing agents
With a portfolio of properties, surveys can be booked for more than one address. To arrange surveys for several addresses, call 07833 053749 or use the contact form with the addresses.
We survey roofs for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. The report gives you a dated record of the flat roof membrane, with photographs.
Can I check my roof myself?
The one thing to avoid is getting up close. Slates, tiles, flat roofs and rooflights can give way, and a fall can be serious. That’s where a survey comes in.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
When to book a survey in Smeeth
Seams are a common weak point in flat roof waterproofing. A gap that’s hard to see can let water in for months before it shows.
Things that often lead to a survey include:
- Breaches hidden under paving or planting
- Patched roofs that still leak
- Leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings
- Waterproofing to test before it’s covered
If you look after a building such as Smeeth Community Primary School, a large flat roof with lots of outlets and rooflights has many places where a membrane can fail.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- How much experience they have with roofs like yours
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- How they’ll see the roof: from the ground, the loft, the roof or by drone
- When you will get the report
What electronic leak detection looks like in Smeeth
About 3.4 miles south-east lies Westenhanger Castle, a reminder of how long the area around Smeeth has been built on. On older houses around here, roofs often carry the marks of earlier repairs, from replaced slates to new lead, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Handmade clay tiles, including Kent peg tiles hung on pegs through two holes, are typical of older Kent buildings. Oast houses and timber-framed Wealden hall houses are part of the county’s older buildings too. Flat roofs on extensions, dormers, garages and business units are found alongside them almost everywhere.
If you run a business near Ashford Designer Outlet, outlets and upstands on commercial flat roofs are the places to check before trouble starts. For landlords with property near Westenhanger station, a flat roof over a rented flat is easy to forget until the tenant reports a leak.
Smeeth is about 5 miles east of Ashford, in Kent. Wherever you are in Smeeth, we can carry out electronic leak detection at your property, on a weekday, Saturday or Sunday. Our area takes in places right across Kent, large and small. There’s also a page for Canterbury.
Surveys in TN25 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. Whether your property is on Church Road, Caroland Close and Woolpack Hill or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Smeeth include Ridgeway (1 mile west), Brabourne Lees (1 mile north-east), Lilyvale (1 mile south-east), Bircholt Forstal (1 mile north-east) and Stone Hill (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Ashford (5 miles west), Canterbury (12 miles north-east), Dover (14 miles east), Folkestone (9 miles east), Faversham (14 miles north) and Hythe (6 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Smeeth
For rail, the closest station is Westenhanger station, roughly 3.6 miles south-east of the centre. A little further out are Lympne Castle (4.2 miles south-east) and William Harvey Hospital (2.6 miles north-west). The countryside around Smeeth includes Hatch Park.
What happens on the day
Where it’s relevant and can be reached safely, the loft space is checked as well as the outside. In the loft, the signs we look for are staining, damp, daylight and sagging, as far as the space allows. All in, the survey typically takes longer on a large roof than a small one, and the build-up of the roof makes a difference too. For a village or hamlet like Smeeth, the journey is planned beforehand: tell us 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’s safe access and from the roof where it is safe.
- First, you tell us about the roof build-up and where water is showing.
- We confirm whether the roof is suitable for electronic testing.
- The testing method is chosen to suit the membrane and build-up.
- The roof is tested and any breaches are located.
- We send a report with photos of each breach so your roofer can repair it.
Preparing for the visit
- Find any records of previous roof work
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Book a survey
To get a price for electronic leak detection in Smeeth, call 07833 053749 or email us. A few details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Advice
Places near Smeeth
What else we do in Smeeth
Common questions in Smeeth
Is Smeeth in the area you cover?
Yes, Smeeth is one of the places we work. Every survey there gets the same written report with photographs, and visits run on weekdays and weekends.
Will you come out to Smeeth?
Yes, Smeeth is on our map. Villages and rural addresses get the same survey as a town house, with the route planned beforehand.
What do I do with the report?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.
Does the weather affect the survey?
It can, depending on the survey. Drones can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain, and thermal imaging works best with a dry roof, little wind and a sunny day beforehand. We will rearrange with you if the weather isn’t right.
How is ELD priced?
Each roof is quoted on its size and build-up. Let us know about the roof and where it leaks. Just phone 07833 053749 or email us for a quote.
What does electronic leak detection do?
The waterproofing membrane normally stops an electrical current, so wherever there’s a hole, it passes through. That is how we locate breaches you cannot see.
Does this replace a RICS home survey?
No. We check the roof, not the whole building, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.
What electronic leak detection doesn’t cover
Without opening up the roof, some things stay hidden, so a survey has limits:
- Carrying out the repair work
- Leaks from walls, copings or rooflights
- Some conductive membranes
If you’re not sure which survey you need, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Flat roof membranes
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Single-ply roofs
- Green roofs
- Commercial flat roofs