Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Electronic leak detection in Summertown, Oxfordshire
Electronic leak detection to pinpoint holes in flat roof membranes for Summertown and the rest of Oxfordshire. Surveys run on weekdays and at weekends.
- Leaks that return after repairs
- Leaks through a flat roof with no obvious cause
- Waterproofing to test before it is covered
When you need someone else
This isn’t a RICS building survey, a structural engineer’s report or an asbestos survey. Other limits to bear in mind:
- The extent of water in the insulation
- Fixing the holes we find
- Parts of the roof covered by fixed equipment
If in doubt, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email and we will recommend the right survey before booking. What a survey covers and doesn’t.
What this survey covers
- Commercial flat roofs
- Flat roof membranes
- Green roofs
- Liquid-applied waterproofing
- Roof terraces and balconies
- Single-ply roofs
About our electronic leak detection in Summertown
Electronic leak detection, or ELD, finds holes in flat roof waterproofing membranes. It uses a small electrical current that passes through the membrane only where there’s a breach. It can find holes too small to spot by eye so your roofer knows exactly where to repair. You get a report with photographs of each breach found. If you’re worried about patched roofs that still leak and breaches hidden under paving or planting, a survey will tell you what’s going on, whatever the roof.
Flat roofs in smaller places like Summertown can be more exposed, especially where nothing shelters them, so wind catches loose edges and trims. Sun on a flat roof also ages felt and bitumen. Splits, blisters and lifting edges are what to look out for, along with water that sits after rain. A flat roof that still holds water days after rain is also worth a closer look.
Nothing in the report is left vague: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, along with how urgent it is.
- Where
- Summertown (OX2, OX3)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- Quoted for your roof
- Report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Telephone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Summertown: your questions answered
Do you cover commercial flat roofs around Summertown?
Yes, commercial buildings, hotels included, are part of the work. Roof access is agreed with the building manager or owner beforehand.
Do you cover smaller places like Summertown?
Yes, Summertown is covered. We work right across London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it’s useful to know about access.
What happens after the survey?
The report comes by email, and you decide the next step: raise it with a seller, send it to an insurer, brief a roofer or share it with a managing agent.
How long does electronic leak detection take?
The roof’s size and build-up decide how long it takes. You’ll know roughly how long before we start.
Do you use low-voltage or high-voltage testing?
It depends on the membrane and the build-up. Low-voltage testing normally needs a wet surface, while high-voltage testing needs a dry, exposed membrane.
Do you carry out surveys on Saturdays and Sundays?
We survey on any day from Monday to Sunday, during the day, which suits people who work during the week. Let us know your preferred days when you book.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, and we check for restrictions near airports before flying. We are a CAA-registered drone operator.
Prices for electronic leak detection in Summertown
Every roof is different, so prices are confirmed before you book. These are the things that affect it:
- The shape of the roof and its details
- Commercial roofs and larger buildings
- Any need for thermal images or a drone flight
- Roof area
The cost of a survey depends on the roof: how big it is, how high it is, the number of separate roofs and how safely it can be seen. We quote electronic leak detection for each roof, as the method and time depend on the roof.
What we need to know
Here’s what helps us most when you contact us:
- Anything about access we should know
- Your postcode, so we can check access and travel
- What’s prompted the survey
- Any marks or damp showing indoors
Photos help, if you have them. 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, call 07833 053749 or email us.
Do you need electronic leak detection in Summertown?
Repeated leaks after repairs suggest the real breach hasn’t been found. ELD can locate the breach more precisely.
Typical things we are asked to look at include:
- Leaks at pipes, outlets or fixings
- A flat roof leak that cannot be traced
- Leaking laps in the waterproofing
- Waterproofing to test before it is covered
If you look after a building like Summer Fields School, schools and public buildings often have big flat roofs, and their outlets and upstands need regular checks.
Before you book anyone
- Their drone registration, if they fly one
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- What happens after the report arrives
- Whether the price includes VAT
Local flat roofs in Summertown
The wider area around Summertown has a long history of building, with Holywell Manor about 1.7 miles south-east. If your home is one of the older ones, expect a mix of original materials and later repairs on the roof, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area. There are several hotels within about a mile and a half of Summertown. For hotels and other commercial buildings, finding the cause of a flat roof leak quickly keeps rooms in use.
For hotels and guest houses around Summertown, a roof problem found early is far less disruptive than one found by a guest. If you look after a shop, office or commercial unit, for instance near Clarendon Shopping Centre, flat roofs over shops and units are easy to forget until water comes through a ceiling.
Summertown is about 2 miles north-west of Oxford, in Oxfordshire. From houses to flats and shops in Summertown, we can survey the roof on a weekday or at the weekend. Our Oxfordshire coverage includes Summertown and the places around it.
All of OX2 and OX3 is within our area for electronic leak detection, from the main roads to the quietest streets. We offer electronic leak detection to properties on Islip Road, Hobson Road and Hernes Road. With the A4165 close by, Summertown is easy for us to reach for electronic leak detection. Other places close to Summertown include North Oxford (1 mile south), Sunnymead (1 mile north), Cutteslowe (1 mile north), Park Town (1 mile south) and Norham Manor (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover Didcot (12 miles south), Bicester (10 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (7 miles south), Witney (10 miles west), Carterton (14 miles west) and Thame (13 miles east).
What’s near Summertown
Typical jobs here are in homes near Oxford Academy, Oxford University Parks and Cutteslowe Primary School. Other local landmarks include St Hugh's College Main Building Including Library (0.8 miles south) and Dew Drop Inn (less than half a mile south-east). For rail, the closest station is Oxford station, about 1.7 miles south of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Clarendon Shopping Centre (1.8 miles south) and Oxford University Museum of Natural History (1.4 miles south). The countryside around Summertown includes Hook Meadow and The Trap Grounds and Headington Hill.
How it works
Expect us to ask a few questions before we start, such as when any problem began and what work has been done before. The inspection then takes more time on a big roof than a small one, with the construction of the roof playing a part too. Parking around Summertown is normally easier than in a town centre, but mention lanes, gates or long drives. On bungalows and lower roofs, much can be seen from ground level, with the loft showing the underside, while taller roofs may need other vantage points or the drone where applicable.
- 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 photographs in a report for your roofer.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we are coming
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- Keep pets out of the way during the survey
Booking a survey
Surveys can be booked for weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays. To arrange a day that suits you, ring 07833 053749 or email us with the address and the days you’d prefer.
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Can I check my roof myself?
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, and those are details a survey looks at closely.
Fresh stains on ceilings or walls after rain are worth noting. Photograph them and note the date, which helps when we look at the roof.
Different roofs, different checks
Inverted and paved roofs
We’ll tell you if your inverted or paved roof isn’t suitable.
Green and ballasted roofs
ELD is easier on a new roof before it’s covered.