Reading · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections and grease testing in Horncastle, Reading
TR19 inspections, grease thickness testing, pre-clean surveys and post-clean verification for commercial sites in Horncastle and across Reading. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and fully insured.
- Surveys needed before quoting a full clean
- Extracts that may be over the 200 micron mean
- Insurance renewals needing proof of TR19 cleaning
Questions from Horncastle
Do you do school kitchen extract cleaning in Horncastle in the summer holidays?
Yes, out-of-term visits are normal for schools. Around Horncastle, the Food Standards Agency lists about 11 schools and colleges with registered kitchens within a mile and a half or so. Tell us your holiday dates and we’ll book the visit for when the site is empty.
Do you work in villages like Horncastle?
Yes, we work in villages as well as towns, and Horncastle is covered. Photos of the system and directions to the site help us plan the visit.
What information do you need?
Just the basics: where it is, what kind of site, when it’s open and the access. Photos and any previous paperwork make it quicker. Then call 0345 646 2711, or send details by email.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
No, not in itself. But the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk under the Fire Safety Order 2005, which in a kitchen includes grease in the extract. Many insurers also expect TR19 cleaning.
What is grease thickness testing?
It’s a measurement of how much grease is coating the inside of the extract, by WFTT or DTT. The results are given in microns.
What if parts of the system can’t be reached?
We record them on the report, with a note of where it is, and we tell you what would make it reachable, such as extra access panels in ductwork.
Do you carry out TR19 audits for insurers?
Yes. We inspect the system and produce a report with grease readings, photos and any inaccessible areas. It’s set out for your insurer or broker.
How long does a TR19 inspection take?
Expect it to take a morning or less for one kitchen, more where there are several systems. The visit is timed so cooking is not disrupted.
TR19 inspection in Horncastle, done properly
Think of a TR19 inspection as the diagnosis before the treatment. Readings, photos and notes on access are gathered from end to end, so the clean can be planned properly. If you have kitchen extract systems with no recent grease readings and kitchens taken over with no cleaning records, we can put it right.
Kitchens around a place like Horncastle are often in older buildings or single-storey extensions, where the duct may cross a roof void or climb an outside wall. Long horizontal runs like that hold grease and need access panels to reach.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. So every job comes with a written report and photos, plus a TR19® certificate through the BESCA VHE portal where the work is a TR19® Grease clean.
- Place
- Horncastle (RG30, RG31)
- Region
- Reading
- Paperwork
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
Kitchen extracts in Horncastle
Food Standards Agency data counts about 37 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 28 takeaways and sandwich shops within about 1.5 miles of central Horncastle. For any of them with a canopy, measuring grease is better than guessing when to clean. The fire and rescue service for Horncastle is Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises. It’s Reading council that sends environmental health officers to food businesses in Horncastle. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector.
Where a hall near Church of St Michael, or anywhere in Horncastle, hosts lunch clubs or events, its extract gathers grease just as a café’s does. Bursars and site managers at schools such as Kennet Valley Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty.
Horncastle is about 2 miles west of Reading, in Reading. Sites in Horncastle get the same service as everywhere we cover: a survey first, a fixed quote, work timed around your hours and a report with pictures. Across Reading, we cover 34 places, Horncastle among them.
Here we cover the RG30 and RG31 postcode area for TR19 inspection. Local streets include Low Lane, Usk Road and Mill Lane, all of which we cover for TR19 inspection. We also cover the places around Horncastle: Fords Farm (1 mile south), Southcote (1 mile east), Tilehurst Within (1 mile north), Beansheaf Farm (1 mile south-west) and Burghfield Bridge (1 mile south). Further out, we also cover Caversham (3 miles north-east), Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (7 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (3 miles north-east), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (5 miles north). Being one of Reading’s larger places, Horncastle has a wide mix of commercial premises, all within our area for TR19 inspection.
Local landmarks in Horncastle
Typical jobs here are in premises near Elvian School, Prospect School and Calcot Park, among other places. The closest station to Horncastle is Reading West station, roughly 1.6 miles north-east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Battle Hospital (1.5 miles north-east) and Broad Street Mall (2.2 miles east). Not far away are Fobney Island Wetland Reserve and South Lake.
Honest limits
An honest diagnosis matters more to us than a booking, so here’s what TR19 inspection will not do:
- The responsible person’s own fire risk assessment
- Removing the grease, which is a separate clean
- Ductwork that was designed or installed badly
If you are not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will give you a straight answer.
Where we work
- Insurer audits
- Post-clean checks
- Pre-clean surveys
- Wet film thickness tests
- Deposit thickness tests
- Access surveys
How it works
Protection comes first: floors, worktops and anything near the work are covered. After that, the system is made safe and the work begins. It takes a morning or less for one kitchen, more where there are several systems, and we clear up before we go. For a place like Horncastle, we load the van from the survey notes so the work can be done in one visit where possible.
- Post-clean verification is booked once the clean is done.
- The same access points are opened up.
- Grease readings are taken again at set points.
- Photos are taken to show the condition after the clean.
- The results are reported, with anything missed flagged.
Before we arrive
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
Get a fixed quote
For TR19 inspection in Horncastle, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email. Tell us what kind of premises it is and when it’s open, plus pictures or the previous report if they’re to hand. We typically send a fixed quote within one working day.
Advice
Managing agents and facilities teams in Horncastle
We also work for facilities teams across offices, schools and healthcare in Horncastle and across Reading. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
Records are where multi-site compliance often slips. Every visit ends with a dated report and pictures, so you can show an insurer or inspector what was done at each site.
Places near Horncastle
Other services in Horncastle
What the work involves, part by part
Horizontal duct runs
Sections without access are recorded so it can be fixed before the clean.
Schools, hospitals and care homes
School and college kitchens still need their extract checked. Testing shows whether the interval suits.
What your team can do, and what needs us
Your own staff can handle the daily basics: wiping canopies, washing grease filters and recording it in a log. Inside the ducts, risers and fan is specialist work, which is where we come in.
Away from the kitchen, the in-house job is mainly checking: clear grilles, a log of filter changes and reporting anything odd. The inside of ducts and units needs a specialist.
What we are called out for in Horncastle
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers look to TR19® as the benchmark. TR19® itself is not law, but the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to assess and reduce fire risk, and grease in the extract is part of that risk.
Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Kitchen extract systems with no recent grease readings
- Insurers asking for TR19 evidence
- Heavy grease suspected in the plenum or ducts
- Missing TR19 certificates or history
If your kitchen is in a listed or historic building, like the houses around Horncastle (Mapledurham House is about 2.8 miles north), fitting access panels needs care.
What your quote should include
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Whether they’re fully insured
Between visits
A little care between visits keeps the system in better shape. Our advice:
- Have the latest report ready for insurance renewals
- Book the next test on the date in the report
- Clean grease off the canopy between professional cleans
- File every inspection report with your certificates
Keep the verification report next to the certificate it relates to. The pair gives a clear record of the clean and the check.
Clean, correctly fitted filters stop more grease reaching the duct. Missing or damaged filters let grease straight into the plenum.