Drones can prove to be a valuable help in surveying a building’s roof – regardless of its height. Drone surveys can, for instance, record footage and take still images from difficult-to-access areas in a high building, such as skyscraper, industrial mill chimney, bridge and even a church spire. This may be because the roof and upper levels are fragile due to missing masonry or weather damage. There may also be suspected asbestos in the roof, making the area far too dangerous for a human to go near.
In relaying images to the team below, the drone roof survey allows decisions to be made over whether or not a roof is safe enough for a human to then go ahead and inspect it thoroughly. It can also let the team know whether or not it’s worth setting up rope access provision, and what type of remediation work is necessary in the first place.
These days a drone roof inspection can result in thousands of images of a building’s roof being relayed back within a few hours. This means there’s no requirement to hire it for longer than a half day, resulting in a timely and cost-effective initial inspection.
A drone roof survey (also referred to as drone mapping) usually involves just one individual operating the appliance (usually a building inspector who is aware of what to look for). The fact the drone can fly overhead means that it’s possible to get a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the exterior – and often, interior – of a building’s roof.
Drone inspections and ongoing maintenance plans
The drone roof inspection allows an initial check to be made on a building, as well as further follow-up visual investigations to ensure that no further maintenance is required. It’s particularly useful if part of a building has collapsed and there is doubt over whether or not it’s safe for a human inspector to gain access. That’s not simply in terms of the building’s structure but also overhanging cables or loose powerlines.
Benefits of a drone roof inspection
- Life goes on as normal. Because the drones fly overhead, they don’t tend to cause any disruption to the public or those working in the building at the time of the survey.
- Detailed inspections of hard-to-access areas. Drones can zoom in at a particular location to give a close-up of the area in question.
- Speeded up inspections. Organising a drone roof survey for the initial part of the inspection negates the need to immediately erect scaffolding or bring in a roof access team too early.
- Improves safety. Having a drone inspection identify any risky areas before work begins, gives inspectors a better idea about what tools to use for human access.
- Cuts back on costs. Employing drone mapping techniques at the start of a roof inspection project is less expensive than other means since there is no need to pay for expensive machinery or lengthy labour costs.
- Provides more detailed reports. Drone mapping which provides still images, or video footage to add to a survey report gives a client and their insurance company much more detail on the project in hand.
Get in touch
Here at Building Transformation, we use a number of different techniques to provide the best surveying for your building or roof. This includes drone mapping and thermal inspections, abseiling rope access, cradles and MEWPs. To find out how we can help restore your building to as good as new, or repair a leaking roof, then call us for a chat on 01234 589807. You can also write to us via email: info@buildingtransformation.co.uk
