Good points on gutters and attic checks—made me realize I should probably do that next downpour.
A couple things I've noticed since buying my place:
- Check your downspouts too, not just gutters. Mine were directing water right near the foundation...not ideal.
- Look for granules in your driveway or near gutter downspouts. Lots of those means shingles might be wearing out.
- And honestly, binoculars are great but drone pics were even better—borrowed a friend's drone for a quick flyover, super helpful (and kinda fun...).
Good call on the drone pics, wish I'd thought of that earlier... A couple other quick things:
- Keep an eye out for moss or algae buildup, especially on shaded parts of the roof.
- Also, check inside ceilings for water stains after heavy rain—caught a small leak early that way.
Drone pics are definitely a smart move—wish more homeowners thought of that sooner. Good catch on the moss and algae too; you'd be surprised how quickly that stuff spreads, especially in shaded areas. And yeah, those ceiling stains after rainstorms are sneaky... had a client once who ignored a tiny stain for months, ended up with a much bigger headache. Glad you caught yours early, saves a ton of hassle down the road.
"Good catch on the moss and algae too; you'd be surprised how quickly that stuff spreads, especially in shaded areas."
- Agreed, moss is sneaky—but honestly, drone pics can miss subtle stuff like cracked flashing or loose shingles.
- I'd still recommend a hands-on inspection after storms, drones aren't foolproof.
- Seen plenty of roofs that looked fine from above but had hidden damage underneath.
- Bottom line: drones are great for initial checks, but don't skip the ladder climb entirely...
Yeah, drones are handy, but honestly, even ladder checks can miss stuff if you're not careful. Had a roof that looked fine visually, but when I stepped on it, I could feel soft spots where water had seeped into the plywood underneath. Point is, visual inspections—drone or ladder—are just step one. Sometimes you gotta get up close, press around, and trust your gut if something feels off...
