Haha, binoculars are great until you get caught in a stare-down with the neighbor watering their plants... Been there, awkwardly waved and pretended I was birdwatching. Honestly though, drones aren't too bad price-wise if you grab a basic one. And crashing? Yep, guilty—I once landed mine straight into a client's rose bush. Took me longer to untangle it than to inspect the roof. Binoculars might be safer after all...
"Took me longer to untangle it than to inspect the roof."
Haha, been there myself. Tried drones briefly, but after one too many close calls with trees and power lines, I went back to the trusty ladder and binoculars combo. Sure, drones are handy for a quick glance, but nothing beats getting up there and physically checking shingles or flashing. Seen too many small details missed by drone footage alone... guess I'm old-school, but safer beats faster in my book.
I can relate to the drone frustrations. I gave drones a shot last summer, thinking they'd streamline my roof inspections. But between battery issues and losing signal mid-flight, it ended up being more hassle than help. One time, the drone got stuck in a gutter—spent half an afternoon retrieving it without damaging anything.
Honestly, I've found that physically climbing up there is still the most reliable method. Last fall, I caught some cracked flashing around my chimney that wasn't visible from drone footage or binoculars. It was a minor fix at the time, but if I'd missed it, winter snow and ice would've turned it into a costly repair come spring.
Technology's great and all, but sometimes there's just no substitute for getting your eyes (and hands) directly on the problem.
"Technology's great and all, but sometimes there's just no substitute for getting your eyes (and hands) directly on the problem."
Couldn't agree more. Drones seemed cool at first, but honestly, nothing beats actually climbing up there yourself. Last spring, I spotted some loose shingles that looked totally fine from the ground. Turned out they were barely hanging on—would've been a nightmare if I'd missed them. Tech has its place, but roofs are one area where old-fashioned methods still win out... at least for now.
Drones definitely have their limits, especially with subtle stuff like loose shingles or hidden flashing issues. But they're handy for quick checks or tricky spots. Maybe a combo approach is best—tech first, then climb up if something looks sketchy?
