Isle of Wight · London and the South East
Roof Leak Investigation in Great Thorness
Roof leak investigations across Great Thorness, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. You get a clear report with photographs.
- Wet patches on loft insulation
- Damp underlay across a wide area
- Stains around a skylight
Roof leak investigation in Great Thorness: what you get
Most roof leaks start at a joint rather than the middle of a slope. Common entry points include chimney and wall flashings, valleys, parapet and box gutters, and the upstands and outlets on flat roofs. Each of these is checked in turn and follow the evidence. Chimneys, dormers and roof lights each add joints of their own. Each one is checked from wherever it’s safe to see it. We survey the roof space, chimney stacks and lead flashings, and people most often book us about wet patches high on an inside wall and ceiling stains that grow after rain.
For a small place like Great Thorness, the inspection is the same as anywhere: the journey and access are just planned beforehand. It helps to know where the water appears, in what weather, and what you’ve seen outside, plus any earlier repairs. Photos of the stain and of the roof from outside are helpful too.
The Standard Survey adds moisture detection, a structural check and a follow-up consultation. The Premium Survey goes further, with thermal imaging, drone inspection where applicable, structural analysis and an in-person consultation.
- Location
- Great Thorness (PO31)
- Region
- Isle of Wight
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Great Thorness questions
Do roofs near the sea, like those around Great Thorness, take more of a battering?
Yes, coastal weather is harder on roofs: there’s more wind, and more salt in the air. Exposed details such as ridges, verges, flashings and metal fixings are the ones to watch.
Do you cover smaller places like Great Thorness?
Yes, we do. Our area covers London and South East England, from towns to the smallest villages. Longer journeys are simply planned beforehand.
What insurance do you have?
Every survey is covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and we can provide details if a managing agent needs them.
Do I have to be there for the survey?
Not necessarily. If we only need the outside, we can agree that ahead of time, but anything inside needs someone there to give access.
Why is not the leak directly above the stain?
Because water travels. It can follow a timber or the underlay a long way first, so the entry point is often well away from the mark. We follow the route back instead of guessing.
Can you give me structural calculations?
No. We point out what can be seen, like sagging or deflection, but we are not structural engineers and don’t carry out calculations. If we think you need an engineer, the report says so.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Where it helps and it is safe, yes. Flights depend on the weather on the day and airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Places near Great Thorness
More services for Great Thorness
DIY checks: what’s safe
It is useful to keep a record: when leaks happen, ground-level photos and any past roof work. Send it with your enquiry, as it helps us focus the survey.
Look up at the roof after a storm, from the ground: broken slates or tiles in the garden, gaps along the ridge or loose lead are signs to note. Leave anything above ground level to a survey.
Roof by roof
Lead flashings
Water from a failed flashing can travel down the wall or along a rafter. We check every flashing that could feed the stain.
Valleys
A valley takes the rain from both sides of the roof. Worn or split linings and slipped valley tiles let it under the coverings.
The survey, step by step
There is not much for you to do on the day. Show us any stains, drips or problem areas you know about, and we’ll take it from there. The survey itself takes between one and two hours, more where the leak is intermittent or the roof is large. Somewhere like Great Thorness needs a little journey planning: let us know about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. The roof is looked at from ground level, from windows, from the loft where there’s safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- You tell us where the water appears, when, and what the weather was doing.
- We examine the damp area and the rooms near it.
- From the roof space, we trace the water’s route where there’s safe access.
- We inspect the likely entry points outside, from ground level, windows and the roof where safe.
- We email a written report showing where the water most likely gets in.
Before the survey
- If you are buying, let the agent know when we’re coming
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Keep pets inside or away from the areas we’re looking at
Getting a price
To book a survey, phone 07833 053749 or email us and let us know the address and what’s prompted the survey. We’ll confirm the price before you book.
Advice
Honest limits
A survey is a proper look at the leaking roof, but it can’t do everything. Its limits include:
- A structural engineer’s report
- Leaks from plumbing, tanks or pipework rather than the roof
- Carrying out the fix
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will tell you. What our survey covers.
What this survey covers
- Chimney stacks
- Lead flashings
- Slate and tile slopes
- Rooflights and dormers
- Valleys and parapet gutters
- Flat roof details
- The roof space
Landlord and commercial surveys in Great Thorness
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed beforehand. We survey on weekdays and at weekends, which helps when tenants work during the week.
Managing agents and residents’ management companies use roof surveys to plan maintenance. The report sets out what needs attention now and what can wait.
Why it is worth a survey now in Great Thorness
Damp loft insulation loses much of its value. A slow leak can soak it for months before a stain appears. The sooner the cause is found, the less needs replacing. Outbuildings and barns around Great Thorness are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. A quick look before winter can save a lot.
For a price for your roof in Great Thorness, phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email with the address and some details. We’ll confirm the figure before booking.
Why book with us
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Every finding written up with photos
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
Take a look at our cost guide and two real surveys.
What a roof leak investigation looks like in Great Thorness
Great Thorness lies within about 1 mile of the sea, so there’s more wind and more salt in the air than further inland. Driving rain off the sea can be pushed into gaps that stay dry in calmer weather, and salt air slowly wears metal fixings. With Swainston Manor about 3 miles south, Great Thorness sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and the council can say whether a home is in a conservation area.
In and around Great Thorness, as anywhere, a roof is easiest to deal with when its problems are found early.
Great Thorness is about 3 miles south-west of Cowes, in the Isle of Wight. We survey roofs in Great Thorness and the rest of the Isle of Wight. Across the Isle of Wight, we cover Great Thorness. Southampton is in our area too.
All of PO31 is covered for roof leak investigations. If you are just outside Great Thorness, we cover Porchfield (1 mile south-west), Locksgreen (1 mile south-west), Rew Street (2 miles north-east), Newtown (2 miles south-west) and Northwood (2 miles north-east). Further out, we also cover Newport (3 miles south-east), Ryde (9 miles east), Cowes (3 miles north-east), Sandown (10 miles south-east), Shanklin (10 miles south-east) and Ventnor (11 miles south-east). For harder-to-reach addresses, a little more planning is needed, so let us know when you contact us.
What’s near Great Thorness
We work in homes and buildings around Sportsman's Rest pub and the streets around them. Well-known places in the area include Carisbrooke Castle (3.5 miles south-east) and St Mary's Hospital (2.8 miles south-east). The countryside around Great Thorness includes Mill Hill.