Tech is cool, but sometimes you just gotta trust your gut—and maybe your screwdriver.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen those drone reports call a roof “perfect” when you can literally see the sag from the street. Drones are fine for a quick look, but they miss stuff like soft decking or flashing gaps every time. Gut instinct and a hands-on check still matter, especially after hail. Sometimes low-tech is just... better.
That’s interesting—do you think there’s ever a point where tech like drones will actually catch up to what a hands-on inspection can do? I get that nothing beats poking around up there yourself, especially for stuff like soft spots or hidden leaks, but I keep wondering if the newer thermal cameras or moisture sensors might help fill in some of those gaps. Or is it just that you need to feel the bounce under your boots to really know?
I’m also curious if anyone’s seen drones pick up things like algae or early rot that you can’t spot from the ground. I’ve heard mixed things, but haven’t seen it firsthand. For me, I still trust my ladder more than any PDF, but maybe I’m just old school. Does anyone here actually prefer the tech approach, or is it mostly just a backup for insurance paperwork?
I had a drone scan done last year after a hailstorm—super slick PDF, thermal overlays and all. It did flag some damp spots, but when I actually got up there, a couple of those turned out to be just old leaf piles. Still, it caught a patch of algae I’d missed from the ground. Anyone else notice that tech sometimes overcalls stuff, or is it just me being skeptical? Wonder if the sensors are better in certain climates or roof types...
That’s not just you being skeptical—these drone scans are impressive, but they’re definitely not perfect. I’ve seen plenty of “false positives” on thermal overlays, especially after storms when there’s a lot of debris or wet leaves hanging around. The sensors pick up any temp difference, so a soggy leaf pile can look like trapped moisture under the shingles. Happens more on darker roofs, too, since they hold heat longer.
On the other hand, like you said, they can spot stuff you’d never catch from the ground—algae, minor leaks starting to show, even loose flashing sometimes if the drone gets close enough. I’ve noticed in humid areas or with low-slope roofs, you get more weird readings because water sits longer.
I always tell folks: those PDFs are a great tool, but nothing beats actually getting eyes on the roof. Use the scan as a starting point and double-check anything it flags before worrying about repairs. Tech’s getting better every year, but for now it’s still part science, part art.
I had the same thing happen after my first drone scan—PDF looked like my roof was a disaster zone, but when I climbed up there, half the “hot spots” were just wet leaves or old bird nests. I get that it’s a cool tool, but I’m still not sure how much to trust it for stuff like minor leaks. Has anyone actually found a real problem thanks to one of these scans that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise?