What We Look For During A Chimney Inspection

Having a regular chimney inspection and a trusted chimney sweep in your address book is important, but do you know what happens during an inspection? There are many components of a chimney that is looked at and potentially tested, our team will examine your chimney and fireplace and then present our recommendations and findings to you.

When you schedule your inspection, we’ll come out to your home, our professionals will take a look at your chimney for any buildup, obstruction, damage, or any structural issues. They’ll likely sweep your chimney as a part of the inspection to make sure they’re getting an accurate assessment, and if they think it’s necessary they’ll recommend any work that needs to be done.

Flue System & Firebox Damage

One of the most important things we mark off on our inspection list is checking the flue system for any damage. We usually do this with a video inspect to find any cracked or missing tiles, and mortar joints. Your flue system protects the more combustible parts of your home from the heat.

Not only do we inspect the flue system but we also look at the firebox. Any damage that has occurred to the firebox can mean your home is vulnerable to the ambient heat, and that damage will have to be repaired.

External Damage

It’s important to keep the outside of your chimney damage-free, just like the interior. With the harsh Illinois weather, we know that sometimes that can be hard. Our experienced chimney sweeps will inspect the exterior of your chimney to check the integrity of the brick, make sure nothing is out of place, and that you have all of the necessary chimney components installed.

If there is one crack on the exterior of your chimney, it can spread quickly and lead to brick crumbling and deteriorating.

Damage to the Cap and Damper

Another part of our inspection will be to thoroughly examine the damper and chimney cap to help prevent any future issues. We’ll check both parts to ensure it has not started rusting or is damaged. Our chimney sweeps will also test the damper to make sure it properly functions, so cold air stays out of your home when the chimney isn’t running.

We’ll ensure that it opens and closes properly so you can use your chimney all winter long and stay safe.

Remove Any Obstructions

During the spring and summer months, your chimney can become home to animals like birds, raccoons, and squirrels. Our sweeps will ensure there are no unwanted visitors or debris in your chimney, so the venting of smoke, gas, and combustible byproducts can effectively happen and won’t cause a chimney fire.

Our Valley Chimney team will likely recommend installing a chimney cap to prevent anything from ever entering your chimney again if there’s evidence something was once living in there.

Clear Out Combustibles

We’ll examine the structure to ensure that any combustibles are unable to contact any building materials and create a fire hazard. During an inspection, we’ll look at the walls of your chimney to see if there is creosote buildup, to the extent that it could pose a risk of igniting.

We recommend having an inspection done once a year, every year, usually before the colder months. We don’t recommend starting up your fireplace until you’ve had an inspection done by a trusted sweep company like Valley Chimney.

If you’re in need of a chimney inspection or sweep, contact Valley Chimney today!