NEW BERLIN, Wis. (June 28, 2018)—Interstate Roof Systems Consultants Inc. (IRSC), a national roofing consultant with offices in three states, has added a high-tech drone with infrared thermography capabilities to its stable of diagnostic tools, expediting the collection of detailed information for customers to help them make decisions about roof maintenance.
The new DJI Inspire 1 drone with a Flir Zenmuse XT infrared camera can reduce the time for a roof assessment by 50 percent. The agile craft also has access to angles and perspectives, not available via standard inspection techniques, allowing more detailed assessments than ever before.
Two IRSC roofing technicians completed an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification process to secure unmanned aircraft pilot's licenses, a legal requirement to use the drone and put its extensive capabilities to work for customers. The drone technology tremendously enhances project safety, as workers don't have to navigate rooftop obstacles, dangerous pitches or inclement weather.
"Our new drone technology creates access to roofs that are typically out of reach or extremely costly to access, ones that often require expensive lifts or a crane with a man-basket," said David Velcheck, president of IRSC. "Our technicians can safely cover a large area of roof with a drone and focus on areas that need immediate attention, which the drone's infrared thermography quickly identifies. This drone capability saves our clients time, money and worry by being able to pinpoint damaged roof section(s) that trigger water leaks, interrupting day-to-day business or, worse, creating health hazards to their people."
In one situation, a new facility manager for two commercial/industrial buildings faced recurring roof leaks over an office and laboratory in the buildings. He needed to quickly understand the condition of the roof systems, as water entry was damaging the newly-remodeled laboratory and creating potentially hazardous conditions with contents stored in its space. IRSC utilized the DJI Inspire 1 drone with the Flir Zenmuse XT infrared camera to help the manager provide crucial documentation to the organization's stakeholders and receive funding to repair the roofs. The organization had not previously understood the severity of the roof's deteriorating conditions and was thus unable to resolve the recurring leaks. IRSC completed the assessment in one night, using the drone's infrared technology, in a scenario that would typically take technicians two to three nights to manually assess.
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