Inspecting the roofs of large, industrial structures can be an arduous task. Modern roofs are not like the old ones that were simple and had a basic design. These days, roofs have unique designs that may increase in complexity depending on the building. Whether it’s a high-rise building or skyscraper, building developers must comply with building regulations and carry out roof inspections. For such tasks, you need professionals like Redmond roofing services by Mass & Mass to ensure a safe and proper inspection.
Issues Associated With Roof Inspections
All sorts of issues can arise while doing roof inspections. For example, the roof structure may have become weakened due to natural elements like acid rain. This can cause a collapse as a worker is up there inspecting it. Scaffolding equipment and support structures like ladders can also fall, leading to serious injuries. These situations don’t include very rare ones like insect bites. A worker bitten by an insect while inspecting a roof may lose balance due to the pain and discomfort caused by the insect bite, leading them to fall off.
Modern technology has largely reduced such risks in roof inspection. Now, you can carry out roof inspections while on the ground, meaning more safety, fewer costs, and more efficiency.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) are just the thing to accomplish this. They significantly reduce (or eliminate) the risks associated with roof inspections. For instance, roof inspectors don’t have to worry about falling off roofs if they resort to using drones. Admittedly, some roof inspections may still require workers to climb and do it physically. Even in such cases, drones can still be useful. A roof inspector can use a drone to assess the roof structure before climbing onto it. This is crucial because if any structural defects could pose a risk of falling, the inspector will know to avoid such areas. Unfortunately, most people in the roof inspection niche have yet to adopt such technology. However, you can always overcome this lack of awareness by acquiring drones for your roof inspections. This is because using drones has the following advantages:
1)Provides Safety
Falling off roofs and terraces on the side of large buildings is probably the most common danger of roof inspections. In addition to complex roof designs posing a risk of falling, weather conditions can also increase this risk. For example, strong winds and heavy rains could cause disorientation while doing roof inspections. Some roofs are constructed in such a way that some of their areas are hard to access. Inspecting such areas means an increased risk of falling.
Visualizing a roof surface and its nearby structures without having to climb onto it is one of the major benefits of using drones for roof inspections; the workers don’t have to risk their physical safety.
2) Ability to Gather In-Depth Data
Using a drone equipped with hi-tech equipment, an inspector can get detailed information about all that’s going on up there. Thermal cameras and other video recording equipment can gather details in the form of roof dimensions, high-quality images, and video footage. These can then be analyzed on the ground by human inspectors. Sometimes, an inspector may want to get roof images from different perspectives and locations. Drones can have global positioning system (GPS) trackers installed in them to facilitate that.
3) Helps to Get the Job Done Faster
A roof inspection can seem like a thankless task; you prepare a lot of equipment and get ready to climb all the way to the roof only to inspect and take photos. It takes a lot of preparation and physical strength. After the collection of the needed data, such information has to be processed and analyzed. This all takes time. With a drone, all these tasks can be done in less than half the time it takes for a human inspector to perform them.
4) Drone Roof Inspections are Cheaper
Performing roof inspections is costly. You need to transport the necessary equipment like ladders and scaffolding to the building whose roof is to be inspected. You have to hire an inspector. When using drones, most of these risks are avoided. If you’re a roof inspector, you can carry out several roof inspections in a single day if you’re using drones, meaning more work done.
5) Drones Help Reduce Insurance Costs
A roof inspection is a risky business. Getting up on a building to inspect its roof carries the risk of a fall, possibly leading to serious injury or death. In many jurisdictions, roof inspectors are expected to have the right insurance coverage before getting up on any roof to perform inspections. By using drones, you obviate the need for purchasing insurance against such risks.
All in all, using drones for roof inspections is a lot cheaper, more convenient, and less risky.
