"Maybe it's just me, but I'd probably still climb up occasionally just for peace of mind..."
Yeah, I feel that. Last spring I borrowed my neighbor's drone to check shingles after a storm—thought I was being clever. Footage looked good, but something felt off, so I climbed up anyway. Sure enough, there was a tiny split near the chimney flashing that the drone totally missed. Saved me from a nasty leak later on. Makes me wonder though, are pricier drones better at spotting these small details, or is it just a limitation of the tech?
Saved me from a nasty leak later on. Makes me wonder though, are pricier drones better at spotting these small details, or is it just a limitation of the tech?
I've used drones a few times myself, and honestly, even the pricier ones can miss stuff. They're great for a quick overview, but nothing beats getting up there yourself. Found a cracked vent boot once that the drone footage made look totally fine... Glad I double-checked.
I've found the same thing—drones, even higher-end models, have their limitations. It's not always about the price; it's more about camera resolution, lighting conditions, and angles. I've rented a pricier drone once, thinking it'd spot everything clearly, but it still missed some minor flashing damage that was only noticeable up close. Like you said:
"nothing beats getting up there yourself."
For peace of mind, I usually follow up drone inspections with a quick manual check on suspect areas. Better safe than sorry...
Haha, drones are great but they're definitely not foolproof. Last summer, I trusted mine to check after a storm and it totally missed a cracked shingle hidden under some leaves. Like you said:
"nothing beats getting up there yourself."
Lesson learned... drones don't have x-ray vision yet.
Totally agree—drones are handy but limited.
- Cameras miss subtle stuff all the time (shadows, debris, weird angles).
- Had a drone inspection overlook a soft spot in the decking once... ended up stepping right through it later. Fun times.
- Plus, drones can't feel underfoot—sometimes shingles look fine but they're brittle or loose when you actually step on them.
- Quick visual checks from drones are great for general overviews, but nothing beats hands-on inspection for catching sneaky damage early.
Bottom line: drones are a useful tool, but don't ditch the ladder just yet.
