One of the members of the Blackburn Diocese church buildings team invited me to help survey a church that was suffering from damp issues. I share this example to demonstrate the benefits of an aerial survey as a fast and inexpensive way to help identify the most likely causes of such problems. After a 40-minute surveying flight, we were able to send the church a detailed report within the week
After carrying out a risk assessment of the site, I was soon in the air, methodically covering the key elevated aspects of the church to look for potential issues. The House of God is not so different from your house or mine when it comes to the most likely causes of damp. Problems with rain gutters are a common culprit.
Here, I could quickly see that the proximity of trees had led to an accumulation of organic matter in the lower rain gutters. This issue can remain hidden from the ground until it becomes serious.
Slipped slates may not cause an immediate problem, but if left unchecked, they can expose the roof battens to the elements, allowing the damage to accelerate, as we see here. From a distance, the severity of the issue may not be clear.
However, a close-up image from a photographic drone soon highlighted a serious issue right at the apex of the roof.
Water ingress into a building can give rise to a cascade of damage, proving the old adage that prevention is better than cure. Here, we could see that the ridge tiles would benefit from being reset, while some attention to the flashings now could prevent a much more expensive repair later.
All Church of England and Methodist churches are required to have quinquennial (five-yearly) building inspections. Such inspections are also recommended by the Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church (URC). Is your church within Blackburn Diocese or elsewhere in Lancashire? If you would like to discuss having an at-cost* photographic survey of your church roof to share with your inspecting architect, please give me a call.
I don’t offer structural advice, but I can provide the high-quality photographic evidence your inspecting architect or roofing specialist needs to make their recommendations.
* Divine Drone Photography operates as a not-for-profit business with my fee covering equipment, insurance and travel costs but but with my time given for free as a service to the church communities of Lancashire. This enable DDP to offer photographic roof surveys for a fraction of the commercial rate.
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