Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 Inspection in Sandgate
One call covers TR19 inspections, grease thickness testing, pre-clean surveys and post-clean verification in Sandgate, from survey to sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- Ductwork where grease may be over the TR19 limits
- An insurer’s request for a TR19 audit
- Systems that need surveying before cleaning
About our TR19 inspection in Sandgate
A grease test measures how thick the grease is inside a kitchen extract system. We use the Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) or the Deposit Thickness Test (DTT), taking readings at set points. The results show whether the system needs cleaning and how soon. The work covers deposit thickness tests, insurer audits and post-clean checks, and common reasons people get in touch are surveys needed before quoting a full clean and confirming a clean reached the whole system.
In a small place like Sandgate, kitchens are often in older or extended buildings, with long single-storey duct runs, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. Access, parking and timings are agreed before the day.
It’s worth checking any contractor’s accreditations. Ours are BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite membership, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, plus CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, with full insurance on top.
- Where
- Sandgate (CT20, CT50)
- Region
- Kent
- Reporting
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Quote
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- When we work
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
What a clean will not put right
We’d rather tell you now than book work that will not help, so here are the limits:
- Removing the grease, which is a separate clean
- Fan breakdowns, which need a repair visit
- The responsible person’s own fire risk assessment
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.
Parts of the system we cover
- Post-clean checks
- Pre-clean surveys
- Access surveys
- Deposit thickness tests
- Insurer audits
- Wet film thickness tests
What happens if it’s left?
A pre-clean survey avoids surprises on the night. Access problems are spotted in advance rather than on the night, so the clean covers the whole system. Equipment tucked in a roof space or outbuilding near Sandgate rarely gets looked at unless someone books it.
The price reflects the work, not guesswork. That’s why every job is surveyed first, and the price is agreed before work begins.
Why Sandgate businesses choose us
- One contact for all your sites in London and the South East
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
- We’re fully insured
What happens on the day
When we arrive, we check the system against the survey or the photos you sent. If anything is different, we talk it through with the person on site before carrying on. From there, it takes an hour or two for a single kitchen, longer for a large or complex system. Somewhere as small as Sandgate, the date and timings are agreed with you well before the day.
- First we look at the system’s cleaning history, if there is one.
- The layout is traced from the canopy to the discharge.
- Access panels are located and any missing ones noted.
- Grease readings are taken and pictures recorded.
- We report back with readings and a fixed quote.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Dig out any earlier paperwork for the system
Ask for a quote
Some systems can be priced from photos; others need a survey. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in photos, get a survey first. Either way, you get a fixed price before any work starts.
Read more
What the work involves, part by part
Horizontal duct runs
Grease can gather thickly at bends and along long runs, out of sight of the kitchen.
Restaurants, pubs and hotels
We test between services, early in the morning or after close so the kitchen keeps cooking.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Managing agents often deal with us directly. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements and we will come back with a fixed quote.
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We can quote either party and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
Questions from Sandgate
Do you do school kitchen extract cleaning in Sandgate in the summer holidays?
Yes, and it’s the easiest time to do it. With about 9 schools and colleges on the FSA’s register within roughly a mile and a half of Sandgate, it pays to plan holiday dates ahead. Send us your term dates when you give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email, and we’ll fit the work in.
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Sandgate?
Fire safety enforcement in Sandgate is handled by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. TR19® isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark many fire officers and insurers look to when they ask how often the extract is cleaned.
Can one contract cover all our sites?
Yes. Send the list of sites and the work at each and you’ll get one fixed quote.
Do you work in Sandgate?
Yes. Our area takes in London and the counties of South East England, and that includes Sandgate.
What should I send you?
Some photos and a quick description of the system, with the address and opening hours. If we need more, we will ask.
Can we book visits on a schedule?
Yes, of course. Tell us what you have and how it’s used, and we’ll suggest a schedule and quote for it.
Do you have a 24/7 line?
Yes. There’s a 24/7 emergency line, for problems that can’t wait. Call us any time and explain what’s happened.
What do the grease readings need to be?
TR19® Grease says grease should not go over a mean of 200 microns between cleans. 500 microns or more at any point calls for immediate spot cleaning.
Kitchen extracts in Sandgate
Sea air reaches Sandgate, which sits within about 1 mile of the coast. Metal on the roof weathers faster close to the coast, and the extract fan and cowl are no exception. Food Standards Agency records list about 70 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 31 sandwich bars and takeaways across Sandgate and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). A WFTT or DTT reading tells each of those kitchens whether its grease is staying under the 200-micron mean. Kitchens in Sandgate get their food hygiene inspections from Folkestone and Hythe council. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked.
A kitchen near Folkestone West station that serves breakfast and dinner can run its extract twelve hours or more, which shortens the cleaning interval. School kitchens, at schools like The Folkestone School for Girls for example, are normally cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost. A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near Church of St Paul or elsewhere in Sandgate, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
Sandgate is about 1 mile south-west of Folkestone, in Kent. Every kind of commercial site in Sandgate, we can take on TR19 inspection. Visits can be booked for evenings, overnight or weekends so the site keeps running. We cover 922 places across Kent, large and small. For sites nearby, see our Maidstone page, about 30 miles away.
Our technicians cover all of CT20 and CT50 for TR19 inspection and the streets around it. TR19 inspection is available to premises on East Road, Gough Road and Castle Road and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for TR19 inspection include Cheriton (1 mile north), Seabrook (1 mile west), Folkestone (1 mile north-east), Newington (2 miles north-west) and Peene (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Ashford (13 miles west), Canterbury (14 miles north), Dover (8 miles north-east), Deal (15 miles north-east), Hythe (3 miles west) and Tower Hamlets (8 miles north-east).
Near you in Sandgate
Around Sandgate, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near Lower Leas Coastal Park, Ship Inn and School of English Studies. The nearest railway station is Folkestone West station, about 0.8 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Folkestone Museum (1.6 miles east) and Sandgate Castle (under half a mile east). Not far away are Sugar Loaf Hill.
Other services in Sandgate
What your team can do, and what needs us
When your team notices a problem between visits, like drips, unusual noise, smells or damaged filters, it’s best reported rather than tackled in-house. We will take a look and send you a fixed quote.
In-house cleaning and specialist cleaning do different jobs. Wiping filters daily and washing them weekly keeps the visible parts in order, but grease that has passed the filters is out of reach. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Between visits
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Keep canopy edges and gutters wiped down
- Have the latest report ready for insurance renewals
- Store grease readings where your insurer can see them
- Keep the route to access panels clear
Any access problems we found are listed with a suggested fix. Fitting them before the next clean means the whole system gets done.
Keep certificates, reports and readings in one place so you can produce them quickly.