Identifying wood rot on a third-story gable typically requires a precarious 30-foot ladder climb or expensive scaffolding just to determine if a repair is even necessary.
ZeroLadder conducted a “Peak Detail” mission on a historic three-story home in Arlington Heights where standard binoculars failed to provide the necessary clarity. We flew our inspection drone within three feet of the decorative gable trim and the shadowed undersides of the soffits, areas completely unreachable by a standard homeowner’s ladder. We systematically scanned the wood surfaces, looking for “alligatoring” paint, water-saturated dark spots, and the crumbling texture of “soft rot” where the fascia boards meet the roofline. Our 4K zoom allowed us to inspect the integrity of the caulking and the ventilation screens with clinical precision, documenting every inch of the home’s highest points.
We captured definitive evidence of early-stage wood rot on the north-facing peak, providing the homeowner with the high-res photos needed to get an accurate, remote quote from a painter. By identifying the problem early and without a “diagnostic” contractor visit, the owner saved thousands in potential structural reconstruction costs and avoided a dangerous DIY climb.
