Firebox
Firebrick, refractory panels and mortar joints are checked for cracks and gaps and the damper is tested.
Chimney Sweeping
Chimney Inspection Glenside, PA
A chimney inspection in Glenside tells you whether your fireplace or stove is safe to use, from a basic annual look to a camera scan of the full flue. Call (267) 633-0161 to reach a local chimney sweep.
The parts of a chimney that fail first are rarely visible from the living room. Cracked liner tiles, eroded mortar, a split crown and loose flashing are common, along with blockages from nests and fallen debris. Those flaws can let heat reach nearby framing or push smoke and carbon monoxide into the house.
Under the NFPA 211 standard, every chimney, fireplace and vent should be inspected once a year. There are three levels of inspection, and which one fits depends on what has happened to the chimney. A chimney used the same way year after year gets the basic level, while a sale, a fuel change, a new stove or a chimney fire calls for more.
Chimney Inspection is often paired with chimney cleaning and chimney repair, depending on the cause.
Need chimney inspection in Glenside? Call (267) 633-0161 to talk to a local chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
The chimney inspection process
Here is how a sweep typically handles a chimney inspection.
Ask about use
The technician asks what burns in the chimney, how often and whether anything has changed since a change in fuel or a recent fire calls for a deeper level.
Interior check
The firebox walls, hearth, damper and smoke chamber are checked with a bright light for damaged brick, open mortar joints and buildup.
Scan the flue
A camera on a flexible rod shows the inside of the liner, joint by joint and the recording can be reviewed with you.
Outside the chimney
From the roof or a ladder, the crown, cap, flashing and brickwork are checked along with nearby branches and roofing.
Accessible spaces
In the attic, basement or crawl space, the chimney is checked for clearance to wood framing and signs of heat or water damage before the inspection wraps up.
Written report
You get an explanation of what was found, what is safe and what needs repair and whether the chimney can be used in the meantime.
What is included
What a chimney inspection covers
Crown
The crown is checked for cracks, shrinkage and gaps around the flue tile along with the cap and its screen.
Exterior brick
Outside masonry is checked for freeze-thaw damage which can mean repointing is due.
Liner condition
The liner is checked joint by joint for cracks, offsets and deposits which a camera shows best.
Flashing
The joint between the chimney and the roof is checked for signs of water getting in.
Related service
Level 1 Chimney Inspection Glenside, PA
Level 1 is the standard inspection for a chimney that has not changed and has no suspected problems. It looks at the easily reached parts of the system inside and out, including the appliance and how it connects to the chimney.
If nothing has changed in your Glenside home, a level 1 inspection is normally done at the same visit as the sweep. When something looks wrong, the next step is a level 2 inspection with a camera.
Related service
Level 2 Chimney Inspection Glenside, PA
A level 2 inspection includes everything in level 1, plus accessible attic, basement and crawl space areas and a video scan of the inside of the flue. The standard calls for it after changes to the system, like adding an insert or changing fuels, and when property changes hands. An operating problem or an event like a chimney fire, a lightning strike or storm damage also calls for level 2.
For anyone buying a house in Glenside, a level 2 inspection is the way to know the flue is sound before you own it. The camera footage shows the liner joint by joint, and no permanent part of the building is removed.
Related service
Level 3 Chimney Inspection Glenside, PA
The level 3 inspection includes everything in levels 1 and 2 and adds access to concealed parts of the chimney. Reaching those areas can require removing drywall, paneling or part of the chimney itself. Because it involves removal and restoration, it is only recommended when there is real evidence of concealed damage.
Common reasons include suspected damage after a chimney fire or building fire, structural damage, or a level 2 scan that shows a problem the camera cannot fully explain.
Local help
Chimney Inspection Near Me
In Glenside, a chimney works hard during the heating season and takes the weather the rest of the year. Homes in Glenside and places like Wyncote, Jenkintown, Oreland and Roslyn range from older brick chimneys to newer factory-built fireplaces, and freeze-thaw cycles, wind and water slowly open cracks in the crown, mortar and flue.
Searching for chimney inspection near me from Glenside or Wyncote, Jenkintown, Oreland and Roslyn? Call (267) 633-0161 to talk to a chimney sweep who works in your part of town.
What the local climate does to a chimney
Cold winters keep fireplaces, wood stoves and oil burners working for half the year or more. The hardest thing on brick here is not the cold itself but the constant swing above and below freezing: rain and melting snow soak into the crown and joints, then freeze and push them apart, which is how cracks, loose bricks and leaks start. Nor'easters drive rain sideways into flashing and mortar that looked fine in summer. That is why chimney cleaning in Glenside is usually booked in the fall, before the first cold night.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
A chimney problem fixed early rarely spreads to the masonry, the liner or the house.
Familiar with local homes
Chimney sweeps in Glenside know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Inspection FAQ
Is it safe to use a fireplace that has not been inspected?
The answer rests on what you know about the chimney. Smoke spilling into the room, signs of a past chimney fire or a known blockage are reasons to wait. If it was inspected within the year and nothing has changed, normal use until the next inspection is reasonable.
What does a chimney camera inspection show?
Video scanning lets the technician see the full length of the liner, which a flashlight from the firebox cannot reach. Cracks, gaps, deposits and anything blocking the flue show up on the screen.
How often does a chimney need an inspection?
Fire safety guidance says once a year, every year, for every chimney and vent in the home. Even a chimney you seldom use should be checked, because nests, leaks and weather do their damage whether or not you burn.
Does a home inspection include the chimney?
A standard home inspection is mostly visual, so cracks and gaps inside the flue tend to go unnoticed. A level 2 chimney inspection with a camera scan is the way to see the liner itself.
Which chimney inspection level do I need?
Each level builds on the one before, and level 1 is the routine yearly check. Level 2 adds video of the flue and is the one for home sales, relining, new appliances and chimney fires. Level 3 adds removing parts of the building or chimney to reach concealed areas when a serious hazard is suspected.
More questions? Call (267) 633-0161
Other services that may help
Chimney Cleaning
Sweeping soot and creosote out of masonry and factory-built chimneys, to cut the risk of a chimney fire.
Learn moreChimney Repair
Fixing cracked crowns, failing mortar, loose brick, leaky flashing and damaged flue tiles, before small damage turns into a rebuild.
Learn moreChimney Liner Repair
Restoring a damaged chimney liner after a camera scan shows where the damage is.
Learn moreChimney Leak Repair
Finding and stopping water that gets in through the crown, cap, flashing or brick, before the water rots framing or ruins the flue.
Learn more
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