Funny you mention bird droppings—I had a drone inspection once that flagged a "serious crack" which turned out to be just a streak of pigeon mess. Felt pretty silly climbing up there ready for major repairs only to find myself scrubbing bird poop off shingles. But you're right, better safe than sorry. In your case, sounds like the drone really saved the day. Did find anything else up there besides the mossy patch?
"Felt pretty silly climbing up there ready for major repairs only to find myself scrubbing bird poop off shingles."
Haha, I've been there myself—bird droppings can really fool drone imaging sometimes. Still, drones are invaluable for spotting subtle issues like lifted shingles or flashing gaps that aren't obvious from the ground. Glad yours turned out minor!
Still, drones are invaluable for spotting subtle issues like lifted shingles or flashing gaps that aren't obvious from the ground. Glad yours turned out minor!
Haha, drones can definitely mislead sometimes. I had a similar thing happen last summer—got all geared up thinking I'd spotted some serious shingle damage, only to find out it was just shadows from tree branches. Still, makes me wonder... how reliable are drone inspections overall? They're great for spotting obvious stuff, but do they miss smaller issues that you'd catch by actually getting up there yourself? Curious if anyone's had experiences where drones totally missed something important.
I've had mixed luck with drone inspections myself. They're great for getting a quick overview, especially on steep roofs or tricky spots you'd rather not climb onto (been there, done that, not fun...). But yeah, they can definitely miss some subtle stuff. I remember one inspection where the drone footage looked spotless, but when we actually climbed up there later to check something unrelated, we found a small leak around the chimney flashing that the drone totally overlooked.
I guess it comes down to how thorough you need to be. For routine checks and obvious issues, drones are awesome. But if you're dealing with something tricky or suspect a hidden problem—like leaks or loose flashing—nothing beats getting eyes and hands directly on the roof. Maybe it's best to think of drones as complementary tools rather than replacements for hands-on inspections?
Yeah, I think you're spot on about drones being complementary rather than replacements. I've seen some drone inspection reports that look super impressive—almost too good to be true—but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, they're not always reliable. Last summer, I had a drone inspection done after a storm, and the report came back looking like something NASA would put out. All clear, no issues. But a week later, I noticed water stains in the attic ceiling... turns out there was a cracked shingle hidden under some debris that the drone completely missed.
Don't get me wrong, drones are fantastic for quick checks and saving you from sketchy ladder climbs (been there too, not eager to repeat). But when it comes to subtle stuff like flashing or minor leaks, nothing beats actually getting up there yourself—or having someone experienced do it. It's just one of those things where technology is great until it isn't... gotta trust your gut and double-check if something feels off.
