Chimney inspection in Naperville, IL
An inspection tells you what condition your chimney is in before you light a fire, buy a house or pay for a repair. We look at it from the cap to the firebox and show you what we found.
- Yearly safety checks
- Home sales and purchases
- After a chimney fire or storm
When to have your chimney inspected
NFPA 211, the national standard for chimneys, fireplaces and vents, calls for an inspection once a year. That holds whether you burn wood every weekend, use a gas log set or light the fireplace twice a winter, because weather and animals do their damage either way.
Some moments call for an inspection on their own.
- Before the first fire of the season
- When you buy or sell a home with a fireplace
- After a chimney fire, even a small one
- After a storm, a lightning strike or a tree limb on the roof
- Before switching fuel, adding an insert or relining the flue
- When smoke, smell or water shows up where it should not
What you get with Chimney inspection
Peace of mind
You know the chimney is sound before you light a fire, instead of finding out from a smoke alarm or a ceiling stain.
Photos, not guesses
We photograph the crown, the flashing and the inside of the flue so you can see what we see, and we explain it in plain language.
Small problems stay small
A cracked crown or an open joint found this fall costs far less than the spalled brick and water damage it turns into after another winter.
Ready for a home sale
Buying or selling in Naperville? An inspection gives both sides a clear picture of the chimney before closing.
The three inspection levels
NFPA 211 describes three levels of chimney inspection. The level depends on what is happening with the chimney, not on what the customer chooses.
- Level 1: the yearly check of the accessible parts of the chimney, the flue and the appliance, for a system in continued use with no changes
- Level 2: required when you sell or buy the home, change the fuel or the appliance, or after a chimney fire, storm or earthquake; it includes a video scan of the flue
- Level 3: for when a serious hidden problem is suspected and a Level 2 cannot reach it; it can mean removing parts of the structure
What we look at
On the roof: the cap, the crown, the brick and mortar, the flashing and the clearance from the roof and nearby trees. Inside: the firebox, the damper, the smoke chamber and the flue liner. On a stove or insert: the connector, the gaskets and the clearances around the unit.
You get photos of what we found and a clear account of what is fine, what should be watched and what should be fixed, in that order.
Chimney inspection questions
Do I need an inspection if I rarely use my fireplace?
Yes. An idle chimney can collect nests and debris, let water in through the crown or flashing and rust its damper. Those problems happen whether or not you light a fire.
Is an inspection included with a sweep?
We check the cap, the damper and the flue during every sweep and tell you about anything we notice. A full inspection goes further, and a Level 2 adds a video scan of the whole flue.
What is a video scan?
A camera run up the flue to show the liner from the inside, joint by joint. It is the only way to see cracks or gaps in a clay liner that are hidden from the top and the bottom.
I am buying a home in Naperville. Do I need a chimney inspection?
NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 inspection when a property is sold. A general home inspector looks at the chimney from the outside; we look inside the flue.
How long does an inspection take?
Most take about an hour. A Level 2 with a video scan, or a home with several flues and a stove as well as a fireplace, can take longer. We give you an idea when we book.
Other services we provide
Chimney sweep
Creosote, soot and nests brushed out of the flue, with your room protected from start to finish.
Chimney repair
Crowns, caps, flashing, mortar joints and brick, repaired before the next freeze makes them worse.
Chimney cleaning
The whole chimney cleared of soot, creosote, nests and debris, from the cap down to the firebox.
Want to know what shape your chimney is in?
Tell us about your chimney and how to reach you. We will call you back to set a time.