I feel you on that drone thing. They're great for spotting obvious issues like debris or big patches of missing shingles, but when it comes to subtle stuff—like hairline cracks or slightly raised flashing—you really gotta eyeball it yourself. My routine usually goes like this: drone first for a quick overview, then ladder up, flashlight in hand, and carefully check the problem areas the drone highlighted. Saved myself from a sneaky leak last spring doing just that... drones are handy, sure, but trust your eyes first.
Drone sounds cool, but I'm still old-school ladder all the way. Mostly because I'm cheap and can't justify buying one yet, lol. But gotta admit, your drone-first-then-eyeball method makes sense... might finally convince me to splurge a bit.
Drone's tempting, but honestly, even as someone who hates heights, I still prefer ladder checks. Couple quick points:
- Drones can't lift shingles or poke around flashing to check for looseness or rot.
- Battery life and wind conditions can limit drone use—had a neighbor's drone drift off once, pricey mistake.
- Ladder gives you hands-on inspection; sometimes feeling the surface tells you more than visuals alone.
I get the appeal of drones for initial checks, especially if you're uneasy climbing up. But if budget's tight, maybe borrow or rent one first? Could save you from buyer's remorse...
"Battery life and wind conditions can limit drone use—had a neighbor's drone drift off once, pricey mistake."
Yeah, drones aren't perfect, but honestly neither are ladders. My cousin slipped off one last year—luckily just bruised pride (and backside). Maybe binoculars from ground level could be a safer middle-ground?
My cousin slipped off one last year—luckily just bruised pride (and backside). Maybe binoculars from ground level could be a safer middle-ground?
Binoculars aren't a bad idea, but honestly, they won't catch everything—especially subtle stuff like loose shingles or tiny cracks. I've done the ladder dance myself (not fun), but sometimes you gotta get up close to really know what's going on up there...
