Roof Inspections:
Roof inspections have historically required observation either at the ground level, from a ladder, or from physically walking the roof. These observations not only involve steep angles, but also expansive and even inaccessible areas. The amount of time required for these antiquated methods is costly, not to mention the liability risks. Because of these time requirements and physical restrictions, observing every inch of roofs is extremely unlikely, and the quality of these inspections is highly limited.
However, when utilizing a drone to capture high quality photos and videos, not only roof shots, but of the entire structure and property. This type of inspection can be performed just an 1-2 hours depending on the size of the roof and issues you are finding. This allows us to observe the results of the inspection from the ground immediately and prepare a detailed analysis of the data in less time and with virtually no risk of injury.
Through the years I have had pretty good success determining whether or not a roof has a leak by being in the attic space and looking for water stains on the underside of the roof decking.
However that does not work with cathedral ceilings which do not have an attic space. I have experienced twice over the years where a client called me up after a big rain complaining that I missed a roof leak. Each of those times it was a closed in cathedral ceiling with wood as the actual ceiling material and this was a log home and a timber built home. It just so happened that the rain finally penetrated into the wood ceiling below after an inspection. There was no way I could get on a 12/12 pitched roof therefore I missed a leak. I even used binoculars and a zoom on the camera and still couldn’t see the top ridge cap of the home.
I recently inspected was so high that not even a 40 foot ladder would reach it plus there were large trees overhanging on it and I could not have a visual on the condition of the shingles. Even though I went into the attic space I was concerned about the condition of the shingles. There were shingles on the ground but could not tell if it was from the neighbors house next door.
All of this convinced me that it is time to invest in a quadcopter with a HD camera. This will be incorporated into the reports as I see fit to use the Quadcopter.
