Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Thermal Roof Survey in Christmas Common
Find out the condition of the roof at your property in Christmas Common from an independent roof surveyor. Visits run on weekdays and weekends, in the daytime.
- Cold spots on ceilings under the roof
- Wet areas near outlets and upstands
- Water getting in at parapets and stacks
What we do, step by step
Once we have finished looking, we write up our findings as a photo-illustrated written report, emailed to you. On timing, it typically takes about one to two hours at a house, including the thermal images, and around 3–4 hours for a commercial roof. Rural addresses near Christmas Common can be hard to find from a postcode alone, so a few directions are welcome. The visit itself is the same as anywhere else.
- You tell us about the roof and any damp, leaks or cold rooms.
- The weather and surface conditions are recorded.
- We inspect the roof and take thermal images during the same visit.
- We back up the thermal patterns with moisture readings.
- The Premium report reaches you the same day, and we go through it with you in person.
Before the survey
- If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
- Clear the way to the loft hatch
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
Booking a survey
Buyers should book once an offer has been accepted, so there is time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply ring 07833 053749 or email us whenever suits you.
Advice
How a thermal roof survey works in Christmas Common
A thermal camera can help when the cause of damp is not obvious. Water can travel some distance under a roof covering before it shows inside, and the camera can show patterns that help us follow it. The images are used alongside a visual inspection and moisture readings, so no conclusion rests on one method alone. We survey pitched roof slopes, ceilings below the roof and commercial roofs, and common reasons people get in touch are patches of heat loss across the roof and areas of a flat roof that may hold water.
Somewhere as small as Christmas Common, older roofs are often steep and partly hidden by trees or outbuildings. A drone and a thermal camera each give a view you cannot get from the ground. Weather and airspace are looked at before the visit, and the journey is planned beforehand. Older roofs with steep slopes and tall chimneys are where the extra view helps most.
The report is written in plain words, so you do not need to be a roofer to follow it. Photographs show what each point refers to.
- Place
- Christmas Common (OX49)
- Region
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £400 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Emailed report with photos and recommendations
- When we survey
- Weekdays and weekends
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Phone
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What we look for on each type of roof
Single-ply and EPDM roofs
On larger commercial single-ply roofs, thermal imaging can help target moisture readings. That makes the survey more focused.
Felt and asphalt flat roofs
Felt and asphalt sit tight to the layers below, which often helps the camera pick up differences. Any patterns are checked with moisture readings.
DIY checks: what’s safe
During heavy rain, look at the gutters from ground level or a window. Water spilling over the edge can be a sign of a blockage or a gutter that has dropped.
Inside, the loft is a good place to look, with care. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, checking for stains, damp wood or chinks of daylight.
Christmas Common: your questions answered
Is my home in Christmas Common listed or in a conservation area?
Check Historic England’s online list first, then ask the council about conservation areas and any Article 4 direction. It matters most if you are planning to re-roof in a different material.
Is Christmas Common within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our area covers London and South East England. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when booking.
What insurance do you have?
We hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Will you go up on the roof?
Not unless it’s safe. Most of what we need can be seen from safe viewpoints, the loft and, where applicable, a drone, and anything out of sight is recorded in the report.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it applies and safe. We fly a sub-250g drone and we are a CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID). It’s included in the Drone Roof Survey and, where it applies, the Premium Survey.
How soon will I get the report?
Report times are set by the package. Basic is within 48 hours, Standard is 24–48 hours and Premium is the same day. If you have a deadline, such as an exchange date, let us know as you book.
Is this an asbestos survey?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing aren’t part of what we do. If we see materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement roof sheets or soffits on buildings from before 2000, we flag them and suggest a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before any work.
Why it’s worth a survey now in Christmas Common
Thermal images can suggest the extent of wet areas without cutting into the roof. That helps you and your roofer decide what really needs replacing. Matching old materials, such as handmade tiles or stone slates, can take time to source. Spotting a problem early leaves room to find them.
Larger roofs, taller buildings and commercial roofs take longer, so they’re priced to match. The price is confirmed before booking.
Why us?
- CAA-registered drone operator (Flyer ID and Operator ID)
- An independent look at the roof
- Visits on any day of the week
- 20+ years’ experience
Rented homes, blocks and businesses
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord. We agree a time with the tenant beforehand.
A roof problem in a let property affects your tenants as well as the building. A survey helps you spot issues early and plan the work.
Places near Christmas Common
Other services in Christmas Common
Drones, thermal imaging and Christmas Common roofs
Stonor Park, about 2.9 miles south-east, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Christmas Common. Older homes in the wider area frequently have features worth a closer look, such as lead valleys, tall stacks and roofs that have been patched over the years, and any change of roofing material on a listed home needs checking with the council first. Cotswold stone slates are found on older buildings in west Oxfordshire, and thatch survives in some of the county’s villages. Older houses in the South East frequently have slate or clay tile roofs, while many later estates have concrete tiles. A drone or thermal camera adds most on the steep, tall and hidden parts of roofs like these.
If you live in an older home near Church of the Nativity, tall stacks and steep slopes are easier to judge with close-up aerial photos than from the pavement. Anyone responsible for a site like Icknield Community College will know that big roofs are where aerial photos and thermal images show the most at once.
Christmas Common is about 8 miles south of Thame, in Oxfordshire. We cover Christmas Common and the rest of Oxfordshire. Our area takes in places right across Oxfordshire. Our Reading page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of the OX49 postcode area for thermal roof surveys and the streets around it. We also cover the places around Christmas Common: Northend (1 mile east), Howe Hill (1 mile south-west), Shirburn (2 miles north-west), Cookley Green (2 miles south-west) and Ibstone (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Oxford (14 miles north-west), Didcot (12 miles west), Abingdon-on-Thames (14 miles west), Thame (8 miles north), Henley-on-Thames (7 miles south) and Benson (6 miles west).
Around Christmas Common
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Fox And Hounds Inn Public House and the streets around them. The countryside around Christmas Common includes Bald Hill and Aston Rowant NNR.
Before and after the survey
These tips come from what we see on roofs every week, before and after a survey:
- Take photos of stains as they appear, so we can compare
- Move stored items away from the loft hatch
- File the images with your roof records
- Talk to us about the weather when booking
The report explains the conditions on the day and how they affected the images. That way you know how much weight to give each finding.
Consider a repeat survey after major work on the roof, when the conditions are suitable.