Your chimney’s exterior will rarely give you an insight into whether a repair may be necessary or not. Cracked chimney flue, creosote buildup, and water damage are a few of the damages that cannot be seen while scanning your chimney externally.
As the winter is just a few months away, this is the best time to have your chimneys inspected. Depending on how you use your chimney, we recommend having it checked at least once or twice a year before you start burning regular fires, especially if you only moved into a new home or you haven’t used your chimney in a long period of time.
Having your chimney fireplace or stove inspected by a trained expert like Touch of Glass can prevent any major chimney issues from happening. We will check the condition of the flue, inspect for cracks or smoke spillage marks, or even conduct a chimney repair if needed, so you can enjoy using your chimney throughout the winter season, with an assurance that you and your family are safe.
Here are a few other reasons for why it’s important to schedule a chimney inspection.
If creosote buildup is not first discovered during a chimney check, it may result in chimney fire.
While a thoroughly cleaned chimney doesn’t catch a fire, a chimney that has a buildup of creosote is a disaster waiting to happen.
When you use your fireplace or wood stove, by-products including smoke, vapour, and unburned wood flow from the hot fireplace or stove into the cooler chimney, where they condense to produce a darkish brown to black layers known as creosote.
There are three degrees of creosote, and the third degree is the most dangerous. It requires professional tools that are common to experts to be able to properly remove it.
Third-degree creosote buildup is extremely flammable. It can catch fire if the temperature in the flue is high enough. This fire may do harm to the chimney, the nearby brickwork, the foundation of your house, or worse, can even spread inside your home.
A quick and easy test to recognize if the creosote is starting to build up is by rubbing the interior walls of your chimney with your fingernail. If you discover dark deposits, it’s time to call a professional chimney cleaner. We will perform a CCTV chimney inspection to determine how severe the creosote build up is on your chimney, so we can have it removed and reduce the risk of a chimney fire.
Internal parts of your chimney might be damaged
Damaged chimney components should be promptly repaired or replaced to reduce the danger of fires, carbon monoxide exposure, and water damage.
Unfortunately, a lot of the chimney’s essential components are inaccessible without the necessary equipment, or too dark to see. By hiring a professional to conduct chimney inspections, we are equipped with the tools, knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate damage to the following vital chimney components:
Crown – The crown, which is an overhang at the top of the chimney that slopes downward to reduce the chance of erosion, is made of metal, stone, or concrete. If cracked, rainwater will come running down the sides of the chimney and erode it, which over time compromises the structural integrity of the chimney.
Additionally, rainwater can enter the chimney flue and damage the flue lining. We can repair or replace it to prevent water damage to the chimney and flue.
Masonry – If your chimney is made of masonry (such as brick), the porous material can easily expand or contract in response to heat or cold, eventually resulting in tiny cracks.
These cracks then have the potential to enlarge, endanger the chimney’s integrity, or allow smoke and vapour from the chimney flue to enter the house, especially if they coexist alongside cracks in the flue liner. There are signs that your masonry might be cracked, such as the smell of smoke inside a room where the fire is going.
A professional can examine the chimneys’ brick and mortar for integrity and suggest any required masonry repairs.
Chimney Flue Liner – When the byproducts of fire are ejected through the flue, the flue liner—a clay, ceramic, or metal conduit situated between the flue and the chimney walls—protects chimney walls from heat and corrosion.
Additionally, it prevents smoke and dangerous gasses like carbon monoxide from getting inside your home through any chimney masonry cracks. High heat or embers can damage chimney walls or come into contact with other combustible materials of the home, and start a chimney fire when cracks develop in the flue as a result of excessive heat, water damage, or general wear and tear.
The problems on your flue liner, like small cracks, can be addressed by the professionals and carry out proper procedures through CCTV camera inspection.
In the event of chimney damage, your insurance company will ask for records of your chimney inspections.
In order to cover you for chimney damage brought on by using a fireplace or wood-burning stove, many homeowners’ policies need routine CCTV chimney inspections. This implies that neglecting inspections could leave you on the hook for any further chimney damage.
Make it a priority to have your chimney inspected at the regular intervals by a certified expert, especially if you discover through reading your homeowners policy that chimney inspections are necessary to cover chimney damage in order to prevent a gap in insurance coverage.
Your chimney might not have been cleaned before
If you recently bought or moved to a new home, you might not be aware if the chimney has been inspected or even cleaned before. It can be covered in creosote, overloaded with debris, or suffering from hidden damages.
In this situation, scheduling a chimney inspection before burning or in some cases before buying is important. By conducting chimney cleaning and inspections, this provides you with an up-to-date benchmark on the condition of your chimney, and you’ll be told whether any immediate or long-term repairs are necessary to ensure your chimney system’s safety and peak performance.
At Touch of Glass, our skilled crew and cutting-edge equipment for CCTV chimney inspection make it easy to pinpoint the problem with your chimney. Additionally, we offer a thorough report explaining our conclusions, the cases we found, and the ideal fixes for your chimney issue!
With our knowledge and experience, we are confident in our ability to guarantee your chimney is thoroughly cleaned. When you’re ready to work with us, request a call back so we can talk over the phone.
