Roof inspections are a crucial part of building maintenance, ensuring the safety and longevity of your structure. Traditionally, these inspections have involved a lot of ladders, time, and often, guesswork. But what if there was a way to skip the ladder, get more accurate insights, and make roof inspections easier and more effective?

However, the advent of IoT and AI offers a transformative solution, providing building stakeholders with unprecedented levels of efficiency, accuracy, and actionable insights.

Traditional Inspections: A Reactive approach

Imagine this: It’s a snowy winter day. You’re responsible for a large commercial building, and you’re staring out the window, wondering if the roof can handle the weight of the accumulating snow. What do you do?

Historically, building managers faced limited and less-than-ideal options:

• Visual Inspection (The Guessing Game): You climb a ladder, brave the icy conditions, and take a look yourself. But how do you really know if the snow load is approaching a critical point? You might be underestimating the risk or overreacting, leading to unnecessary snow removal costs.
• Call in the Engineers (Time and Cost Intensive): You could call in a structural engineer to perform a manual snow load assessment. This option provides accurate data, but it’s expensive, time-consuming, and has to be repeated frequently during periods of heavy snowfall.
• Wait and See (The Gamble): You could ignore the problem and hope for the best. But this approach is incredibly risky, as it leaves you vulnerable to potentially catastrophic consequences like roof collapse, business interruption, and even injury or death.

These traditional methods are reactive, subjective, and often inefficient. They rely on limited data, human judgment, and often, a lot of luck.

The Smart Way: Domely Connect and AI-Powered Roof Inspections

Domely Connect™ , a patent-pending smart roof monitoring device, changes the game entirely.

Here's how it works:

• The Device: A self-contained, solar-powered Domely Connect unit is placed on your roof. It's simple to install, requires no WiFi connection or power source, and blends seamlessly with your roof's aesthetics.
• The Sensors: The device is equipped with weather sensors that capture real-time data on temperature, humidity, and snow depth. Additionally, a specialized sensor system provides a precise estimation of the snow load , accurately measuring height , density, and water equivalent.
• The Camera: A 360-degree camera captures daily images of your roof, providing a visual record of its condition over time.
• The AI: Powerful AI algorithms trained using hundreds of thousands of images from professional, manual roof inspections analyze the camera images, automatically detecting potential problems like:
• Pooling water
• Clogged drains
• Gravel voids
• Debris and mold
• Blistering and buckling
• Hail damage

The Benefits: Efficiency, Accuracy, and Proactive Insights

• Skip the Ladder: No more risky climbs in harsh weather. Domely Connect and AI do the inspecting for you.
• Data You Can Trust: Get accurate, real-time measurements of snow load , eliminating guesswork and subjective estimations.
• See the Unseen: AI visual inspections detect problems that might be have been missed to the untrained eye, allowing you to address issues before they escalate.
• Proactive Alerts: Receive notifications when potential problems are detected or when snow load is approaching critical thresholds, enabling timely intervention.
• Evidence-Based Decisions: Make informed choices about snow removal , repairs, and maintenance based on concrete data and visual proof.
• Reduce Costs: Avoid unnecessary snow removal expenses and prevent costly repairs by addressing problems early.
• Peace of Mind: Rest assured knowing your roof is under constant surveillance, protecting your building and its occupants.

Beyond Snow: Year-Round Roof Management

The benefits of smart roof monitoring extend beyond snow management. Domely Connect provides valuable insights year-round, helping you:

• Prevent Leaks: Identify pooling water and clogged drains , addressing potential leaks before they cause damage.
• Extend Roof Life: Detect and address minor problems before they become major repairs, maximizing the lifespan of your roof.
• Improve Energy Efficiency: Our devices are equipped with temperature sensors directly at the roof surface level. Identify areas of heat loss and make informed decisions about insulation and other energy-saving measures.

Real-World Impact: Case Study

A compelling anecdote emerges from a 2022 incident where a building on the same street and with characteristics similar to one of our client's properties collapsed under snow load .

Domely provided our client with weeks of advance notice, predicting a critical load exceeding 170%. This early warning enabled preemptive action, including snow removal, averting a potential $573,000 loss (excluding damaged goods and reconstruction costs, and based on an estimated 25% building collapse).

Domely Connect: The Future of Roof Inspections

Smart roof monitoring with Domely Connect represents the future of building management. By integrating this technology into your roof maintenance strategy, you’re not just skipping the ladder; you’re climbing to a new level of efficiency, accuracy, and control.

It's no wonder The ® announced Domely winner in the Innovative Product Showcase and Awards Program in the Business Software & Tech Products category.

Ready to take the next step?

Contact us today for a live demo and discover how smart roof monitoring can transform the way you manage your building.