Chimney Inspections: Level 1, 2 & 3

Having your chimney inspected is recommended annually for NFPA 211 (National Fireplace Protection Agency) to make sure that there are no issues in regards to either water entry or safe use of the fireplace. A chimney inspection can prevent a leak or damage to your home from burning in a fireplace that is not safe. Even if you do not use the chimney it can be important to inspect them regularly to prevent a small problem from becoming a large one. There are three levels of inspection.

Level one: inspection is typically recommended if the chimney is not very tall or does not take any turns. A level one inspection is visual and does not include any video. A level one looks at all the accessible areas by doing a visual inspection. This is recommended for just a standard inspection but may miss things a level 2 can uncover. Level two is recommended anytime you are buying or selling a home.

Level two:  This is a much more in depth inspection that is more likely to uncover things. A video camera spinning 360 has ran the entire length of the inside of the chimney to verify there are no defects. The camera can also look up on down in all directions. In addition to this, we are also required to inspect in the attic as well as the crawlspace, which is not required with the level one inspection. The additional detail and tools allow us to give the highest quality inspection.  Level 2 is recommended if you are purchasing a home a level two will make it so that something is not missed that can costly if missed. This will give the opportunity to bring it up an inspection and request the seller to either fix it or give a credit. We use the highest quality inspection equipment on the market to make 100% sure your fireplace is safe and ready to use. It is also highly recommend recommended if the chimney is very tall as well as if the chimney takes a turn. Also a good idea for us to attach a picture that I will send of a video scanner or showing what a level two is. Maybe even make a quick video. We highly recommend doing a level two also, if there is an earthquake or something else that can shake up the interior of the chimney. In 2011 we had an earthquake that caused significant damage to many chimneys and thanks to many level two inspections FEMA was able to cover the Damage for everyone who is able to find it.

 Level  three:  Done, typically in the case of the catastrophic event, such as a chimney fire or damage from a storm. During a level three inspection, all of the drywall is removed in order to inspect all clearances and verify everything behind the wall. This is typically done for an insurance company to determine the reason a chimney fire occurred when it is not obvious without opening drywall. This can also be performed if there is a severe leak or if the chimney is struck by a large object.