Gone are the days when the only way to discover whether a roof was safe was to clamber unsteadily up a ladder with a tape measure in one hand and fingers crossed on the other.
A new company has now been formed, Roof Checker, which uses drones with high definition cameras to capture accurate data.
Roof Checker also produces 3D Virtual Reality (VR) tours inside businesses and homes.
The business combines the two careers of Roof Checker owner Dez – commercial drone operations and industrial roofing. The firm is based in Southport, but has a wide reach.
The innovative company provides independent, innovative and impartial drone roof inspections and 3D VR photogrammetry.
It specialises in the use of drones (unmanned aerial systems / UAS) enabling them to provide detailed imagery and evidence of roof integrity failings and / or imperfections, in a manner that is safer, quicker and cheaper than traditional methods.
Roof Checker holds permissions from the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), is fully insured and follows strict health and safety procedures.
The firm has joined Checkatrade as the only listed drone survey / inspection company in the area.
Roof Checker owner Dez said: “This is a new company, only a few months old.
“Before this, I worked as an industrial roofer. Prior to that, I was the Operations Manager for a large commercial drone company.
“I have managed drone operations at Farnborough International Airshow, Royal Ascot, Liverpool FC and many more high-profile events and clients.
“When the Covid lockdowns happened, everything changed as all events were cancelled so I reverted back to a previous career of industrial roofing, remaining as a drone operations consultant. I worked for a company carrying out roof repairs, surveys and inspections full time across the country, from Scotland to the Isle of Man.
“One day, I thought to myself – why not put my two skills together? And Roof Checker was born.
“My intention is to support roofing companies across the region, both through Business to Business and also directly to customers, such as local companies and home owners.
“The other equally important side to my business is 3D VR property scanning.
“It is a fantastic marketing resource for places including hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, leisure outlets and attractions, especially since the Covid pandemic.
“I can complete a 3D scan of a property to create a virtual doll’s house, allowing visitors to go into it and enjoy an interactive tour.
“I can then put the imagery into Google Street View (where it can stay permanently making it great for SEO) or export it to CAD for architects and planners. The imagery is 99% accurate on measurements (which the user can take within the tour itself).
“It is not expensive for what it is, and what it achieves.”
Dez has a real investment in the local area.
He said: “I grew up in Southport, so at the moment I am focused on covering the local area and supporting local businesses but I can carry out my services anywhere.
“Traditionally with roof inspections, people will put a ladder up, and clamber across the roof on their knees while holding a tape measure. It is putting the operator at risk.
“The other alternative is to hire a cherry picker, or to put up scaffolding, which is both very timely and also expensive.
“It doesn’t have to be done like this any more.
“Through Roof Checker, I use drones to go up and begin an inspection straight away, securing accurate evidence of a roof’s condition and detailing this within a report for the client. I can produce roof schematic and full 3D models of roofs using the drone also.”
Photogrammetry is the use of photography in surveying and mapping to ascertain measurements between objects. When used through a drone, it gives the height and 3D views needed to enable further work to be carried out, getting better quality information faster.
It provides:
Increased Efficiency – enabling tradespeople to spend less time planning, and more time doing.
Money Saving – Less spending with drone inspections. No high-cost equipment rental on cherry pickers or scaffolding.
Get the Data You Need – Gain information with pinpoint accuracy. Detect gas leaks, create land surveys and eliminate vulnerabilities.
Dez said: “Gone are the days of grabbing a tape measure and scrambling across a roof on your belly – I don’t miss those days!
“The measurements taken from the drone are very accurate too.
“As a recent example I used the drone to carry out a roof survey in Churchtown for a customer, who said they had issues with damp. I took the drone up and immediately located issues with the roof that were causing their problems. These were previously unseen due to the roof complexity. The client received their full report and was able to use it to request quotes from local roofing companies for remedial repairs.
“Roof Checker is the perfect way to support you with an innovative and professional approach to survey, inspections and business visual marketing.”
- For more details please visit: roofchecker.co.uk
or call: 07865909711 or email: info@roofchecker.co.uk
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