Yeah, thermal imaging's great for spotting insulation gaps or moisture buildup, but subtle roofing issues often slip through. Last spring, I caught a hairline crack in my chimney flashing that didn't show up on a thermal scan at all— would've been a nasty leak in the next big storm. Tech's helpful, sure, but nothing replaces climbing up there yourself and poking around with a flashlight and a good pair of eyes... old-school indeed has its merits.
As a first-time homeowner, this thread's got me thinking—how often should I realistically be climbing up there for a visual check? I mean, thermal imaging sounds cool, but if it's missing small cracks and stuff, maybe it's not enough on its own. Also, any tips for what exactly I should look for besides obvious cracks and loose shingles? I'm new to this, so specifics would help a ton...
I usually climb up there twice a year—spring and fall. Learned the hard way after ignoring it for a couple years and ended up with water damage in the attic... not fun. Thermal imaging is neat, but honestly, nothing beats getting eyes on it yourself. Besides cracks and shingles, check around vents, chimneys, and flashing—those spots are sneaky troublemakers. Also, look for moss or algae buildup; caught mine early once and saved myself from a bigger headache later.
I've gotta admit, climbing up twice a year sounds thorough, but personally, I think that's a bit overkill. I've been doing mine every other year and haven't had issues yet—knock on wood. Thermal imaging is cool tech, but honestly, a good pair of binoculars from ground level can spot most problems early enough. Plus, less chance of me slipping off the ladder... learned that lesson the hard way once and my ankle still reminds me on rainy days.
I've been doing mine yearly and usually stick to binoculars too—no ladder adventures for me, thanks. But I'm curious... how well can you really spot subtle stuff like cracked flashing or small shingle damage from ground level? I've caught a couple minor things early that way, but sometimes I wonder if I'm missing anything important. Thermal imaging sounds neat, but probably overkill for a typical homeowner like me. Maybe I'll borrow a drone someday and see what I've been missing from up top...
