Fireplace & Chimney Inspection

for Realtors & Homeowners

When you’re in the market for a new home, you make a point of doing your due diligence to be sure you’re aware of any issues hiding in the building, from the foundation to the roof, the electric to heating and cooling. It’s not just wise to have a home inspection — it’s key to ensuring that you’re making a smart investment, on top of finding a suitable place to live.

Most home inspectors will take a cursory look at a chimney system, and note any obvious issues. But home inspectors are generally also more than willing to say that they’re not chimney experts, so if you rely purely on that inspection, you’ll only be getting half of the story on the state of your chimney. And that can leave you vulnerable.

Chimneys are complex systems with an array of important parts, all working to help the chimney vent dangerous byproducts, and stand up to the effects of time and weather. If you take ownership of a home with a chimney, you might inherit a simple need for a good sweeping, or you might have a chimney with hidden flue damage that necessitates a full relining job. The most effective way to find out what you’re getting into before that chimney is yours to maintain and repair is to schedule a real estate chimney inspection with the experienced, CSIA-certified technicians at Makefield Hearth & Home.

A basic chimney inspection offers insight into the immediately-accessible parts of a chimney system. A real estate inspection goes deeper, following the protocol of what the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) considers a Level 2 inspection.

Level 2 inspections are also recommended whenever there’s been a change to the system — like conversion to a new fuel, the addition of a new appliance or a flue relining job — because it allows for a more complete picture of the chimney, and with it, gives the homeowner a deeper understanding of issues or potential issues.

When a chimney technician inspects your chimney, they’ll give you an honest appraisal of the state of the system based on what they see and their experience. A video scan allows those techs to see more, in greater detail, and find and correct issues while they’re relatively easy and inexpensive to deal with.

With video scanning, you’ll be able to see what the technicians see as well, so you can make more informed decisions about your chimney and its care. It’s one of many technological leaps forward that Makefield Hearth & Home technicians take advantage of to provide better, more complete services to our clients.

If you’re in the process of buying a home, call Makefield Hearth & Home — we can provide a thorough real estate inspection that gives you a clear and detailed understanding of the chimney system in the home. Call us at 267-907-3409 or click here to make an appointment!

Our chimney and masonry repair expertise simply can’t be beat. We are proud of our reputation for these chimney services and look forward to working with you for all your chimney needs.