RGB vs thermal roof inspections: why we pair both
By SkyVector Drone Solutions · Waikato, New Zealand ·
Thermal images look striking, but on their own they can be hard to act on. That's why every SkyVector thermal roof job includes matching colour (RGB) photos of the same areas. This post explains what each image does, using two patterns that come up often, and why a roofer needs both.
What RGB adds that thermal can't
A thermal image shows where surface temperature looks unusual. A normal colour photo shows what is actually there. Together they answer the questions a trade will ask:
- Is that warm streak on the ridge capping, in a valley, or around a cluster of penetrations?
- Does that cool patch line up with ponding, leaf litter, a stained sheet, or nothing visible at all?
- Is it the north face, a shaded hip, or the edge of a solar array?
Builders and roofers work in colour. Give them only false-colour images and they have to guess where on the roof they're looking. With a matching photo from the same flight, they can point at a real surface and say "check that junction".
Example 1: a warm line along the ridge
On a cool evening, thermal may show a warmer band along a ridge or eaves line. The RGB photo shows whether that's capping, a barge board, the gutter line or a solar rail. The trade then knows whether to look at ventilation, insulation or a flashing detail, instead of a random square metre of roof.
Example 2: a cool patch after rain
Thermal may show a cooler area that could relate to trapped moisture. The RGB photo shows whether that spot is shaded, covered in debris, sitting in a low point, or next to a penetration. Without the colour view, a "cool blob" is easy to over-read. With it, you get a sensible next step: monitor it, open it up, or send a roofer to that specific area.
Neither image is a diagnosis. Together they tell you where to look.
Thermal plus RGB is not NDVI
Our crop health mapping also pairs thermal and RGB to flag stress. That isn't NDVI or a multispectral product, and roof and crop jobs answer different questions. More on farm work: crop and paddock health from the air.
Getting both on your roof
We fly a DJI Matrice 4T under CAA Part 101 and capture thermal and RGB on the same flight. Thermal roof inspections start from $599 +GST, and solar arrays can be checked on the same visit (solar panel inspection).
Related reading: What a thermal drone can see on a Waikato roof · The best time for a thermal roof flight · What's in a thermal roof inspection report
Services: Thermal roof inspection · Thermal imaging in Hamilton · Drone services in Hamilton · Waikato coverage
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