Every year across the country and particularly in Massachusetts, where severe winter storms are a routine fact of life, Churches spend thousands of dollars to have inspections done on the exterior of the building come summer. These regular inspections are the best method to guarantee that areas of the church such as the roof, steeple, and bell tower are well-maintained, structurally sound, and looking their best.
The old way of having these inspections done would be to hire a specialized company to conduct the assessment. Typically costing hundreds to thousands of dollars and requiring technical manpower, special equipment, and, more often than not, a closure of the road access in front of the church, these inspections are cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive.
Enter the Future of Church Inspections, Drones
Today, most churches in the Western Mass area turn to drone companies like Western Mass Drones to handle the data-gathering part of the inspection process. Our inspection protocols, high-definition drone camera, and ability to get up close and personal to the structure with the ability to linger without any fear of harm can uncover a host of potential issues.
Ranging from masonry and roof tiles that have been damaged or are missing to specific areas where the weather damage is particularly severe, inside the spire, for instance, our drone inspections uncover the accurate picture. We can also get detailed images and videos of weather and nature debris accumulated in and around gutters, caught on railings, iron fixtures, decorative stone elements, and more. If left unchecked, these issues can cause serious harm to the church's structure over time.
Inspecting a church roof or a church steeple used to be a complex and dangerous task. Given how churches are typically designed, the building itself is ornate, with many structural elements hindering easy access to the roof & steeple. This usually means that more expensive and complicated equipment is required, along with trained operators who know how to use them, not to mention the risk of having an individual physically on the roof to perform the inspection. All in all, an expensive proposition for any church to absorb.
The problems outlined above are precisely what our drone inspection services solve. The drones we use are the latest in the market and come fitted with high-resolution cameras capable of capturing true high-definition videos and images. When piloted by our team of FAA Certified drone pilots, we can fly our drones into areas that are very difficult to access traditionally can capture the details inspectors need to make a thorough roof and steeple assessment.