"there's definitely something reassuring about physically inspecting things yourself."
Couldn't agree more with this. Drones are handy, but nothing beats getting up close and personal to spot those subtle issues. Last month, I found a tiny crack in the valley flashing that drone footage completely missed—would've been a nasty surprise come rainy season. It's always those little details that matter most... Glad you caught yours early too.
Yeah, drones are great for a quick overview, but they just don't catch everything. Last spring, I climbed up myself and noticed some shingles lifting slightly—nothing major at first glance, but turned out water was already sneaking underneath. Getting hands-on saved me from a hefty repair bill down the road. It's those sneaky little issues that drones just can't spot... Glad you dodged a bullet too.
"It's those sneaky little issues that drones just can't spot..."
Exactly. Drones are handy for a quick glance, but nothing beats getting up there yourself and poking around a bit. Last fall, I had a similar experience—noticed some moss buildup in one corner of the roof. Didn't look like much from the ground, but once I climbed up, I realized it was holding moisture and starting to rot the shingles underneath. Caught it just in time before it turned into something nasty.
One thing I've learned over the years is that roofs can be deceptive. From below, everything might seem fine, but small issues like loose flashing or tiny cracks around vents can cause big headaches later on. A drone camera just doesn't have the same perspective or ability to poke and prod at things.
That said, I'm not knocking drones completely—they're great for checking out hard-to-reach spots or steep pitches where climbing gets sketchy. But for me, nothing replaces a good old-fashioned hands-on inspection every now and then.
Curious though, how often do you guys typically climb up there yourselves? I've been doing it about twice a year—spring and fall—but sometimes wonder if that's overkill or not enough...
Twice a year sounds about right to me, honestly. I try to do the same—once after winter to check for ice damage or loose shingles, and again in late fall before the snow hits. Drones are cool and all, but like you said:
"A drone camera just doesn't have the same perspective or ability to poke and prod at things."
Exactly my thoughts. Last spring I spotted a tiny crack around the chimney flashing that a drone would never have caught. Saved myself some serious water damage headaches later...and probably a hefty bill too.
Yeah, drones are handy but they miss a lot of the subtle stuff. Last fall I climbed up and found a couple shingles that looked fine from above but were actually loose underneath. Like you said:
"A drone camera just doesn't have the same perspective or ability to poke and prod at things."
Glad I caught it early—could've been messy come winter.
