Capital Coated Steels, a prominent steel stockholder located in Newport, Wales, boasts a vast property with many extensions. Their primary roofing is made of corrugated coated steel sheets, supplemented with a section of torch on felt flat roof. This expansive roof also supports a considerable array of solar panels in its central region.

The challenge? The property had been enduring multiple leaks. Our initial consultations with the client, followed by an on-site walk-around inspection, allowed us to pinpoint and mark these trouble spots on an aerial map of the building. This became instrumental in our drone roof survey, ensuring we targeted these areas ‌to uncover the root cause of the leaks.

Over ‌a day, our drone roof survey unveiled a spectrum of conditions across the property. Given its evolving nature because of successive extensions, the discrepancies were expected. One pressing concern was the integrity of the Mansafe system. The client had specifically sought clear visuals to find out the quality of its installation. Our detailed drone imagery revealed that some brackets of the Mansafe system were not appropriately sealed post-installation. This oversight not only damaged the roofing but also resulted in water ingress inside.

Such water intrusion is often deceptive. It may enter from one point but manifest internally elsewhere, traveling along roof joists or within the insulation so, in this case, getting ‘eyes-on’ with the brackets was the only way to find out the real source of the leaks.

Having identified these problems, suitable remediation works can now be carried out to address the leaks.

Another highlighted concern was a row of unchecked trees bordering the property. Their ownership — whether with the council or the client — was debated, leading to their unchecked growth. These overhanging trees became a focal point of our drone roof survey. The drones’ small size allowed us to get into the tight spaces between the overhanging branches and the gutters, with the imagery showing severe blockage, with vegetation actively growing in the gutters, and downpipes completely blocked.

In other areas we identified varying degrees of rust, corrosion, and fading on the metal roof coverings. These findings were systematically graded in our report, ensuring the client could efficiently prioritise and address each issue.

Utilising the Scopito platform for our report, we provided a comprehensive breakdown of the concerns, each ranked by severity. Accompanying our insights were cloud-backed geolocated images, offering the client an intuitive understanding of every challenge their building faced.

The outcome? Client satisfaction, as our drone roof survey not only highlighted persisting issues but also suggested actionable remedial steps.

For anyone seeking a precise and thorough roof evaluation, a drone roof survey stands as an invaluable tool. It amalgamates the precision of technology with expert analysis, ensuring no stone (or in this case, tile) is left unturned.