Start The New Year With Chimney Inspection

Start The New Year With Chimney Inspection

chimney inspection

As people are making resolutions to exercise, leave toxic relationships, read, and diet, one of the best resolutions you can make is to undertake chimney inspection.

Why are chimney inspections necessary?

The main reason for the inspections is to keep the chimney clean so that it’s safe. During winter, you have been incessantly using the fireplace, which means that smoke, creosote, and other materials might have built up in it.

Creosote is highly flammable when you don’t remove it early enough hence leading to chimney fire. When you inspect the chimney you can tell whether it has accumulated a lot of creosote which puts your property at the risk of catching fire.

What does the cleaning process entail?

The inspection process requires you to hire an experienced professional to take a look at the chimney and identify any flaws it might be having. If you have the skills, you can go ahead and inspect it by yourself.

The inspection process has three levels:

Level 1 inspection

It’s the most essential process and it involves a visual check of the fireplace and chimney without any special equipment or getting up on the roof.

When you hire a contractor, he/she comes to your house with a flashlight then looks for obstructions, damage, soot, and creosote buildup.

The contractor inspects the readily accessible areas of the chimney, such as the clearance from the stove and size of the firebox. It’s after the inspection that he/she will decide whether the fireplace needs cleaning.

The chimney will merit a sweep if there is a lot of creosote build-up, or there is a lot of debris blocking the air ducts. The contractor will also recommend cleaning the chimney if there are birds or animals nesting there.

Level 2 inspection

Level 2 inspection takes a closer look at the chimney using video equipment. The chimney technician will recommend level 2 inspection when he/she notices signs of wear and tear and other signs of serious damage to the chimney.

If you experienced heavy storms, earthquakes, or hurricanes during the winter months, level 2 inspection will help you determine the extent of the damage. Level 2 inspection is also necessary when looking to buy or sell a home or change your heating system.

During the inspection, the technician will get into the attic, crawl space, or any other area where they can get a closer look at the hidden parts of the chimney.

The technician also inserts a color video camera into the chimney to survey the interior walls of the fireplace for signs of corrosion, water intrusion, deterioration, and other signs of damage.

You should note that some untrustworthy technicians will tell you that a particular part is damaged so that they can make a sale. While you shouldn’t dismiss it, take it with a grain of salt.

A trustworthy technician should give you a copy of the video so that you can see the problematic areas before fixing them.

Level 3 inspection

Level 3 inspection goes deeper and is meant to unravel any indications of hidden severe problems that you didn’t uncover with level 2 inspection.

Here the technician removes pieces of chimney or materials to get full access to the areas you are looking to inspect. Level 3 inspection is the most expensive as it requires you to remove and restore the parts of your home.

Can you inspect the chimney by yourself?

Even if you have the necessary skills, it’s always wise to leave the inspection to the professionals. The experts have the essential tools and equipment to find the internal and external issues that an untrained homeowner can’t identify.

When the contractor identifies problems within the chimney, he/she will also be in a better position to fix them since they are experienced enough.

What should you look out for when hiring an inspection technician?

As mentioned, you should leave the inspection work to a professional. Unfortunately, not all contractors are right for you.

One of the prime factors to consider is the amount charged by the contractor. How much are they charging you? Even if you want to save as much money from the contractors as possible, you don’t want to go for the cheapest technician, as they will most likely be inexperienced. They also will give you substandard services.

You will be better off with costly chimney contractors Bowie than with cheap ones.

This post first appeared on https://www.firstclasschimneyservices.com

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