Chimney owners are aware of the importance of getting a chimney cleaning an annual basis. Annual inspection and cleaning help keep the creosote out of your chimney, and it also ensure that any minor repairs are taken care of. But did you know that there are actually three levels of chimney inspection? If you live in Milwaukee or Waukesha, Wisconsin or any of the surrounding areas, give Chimney Concepts a call. We can talk you through it all and help you decide what level of inspection is best for your chimney.
Level One
If you have been diligent of getting a chimney inspection every year and if you take care of any repairs, we’ll recommend a Level One inspection. This is the most basic chimney inspection, and every chimney should get a level one inspection at least once a year. We’ll check out the areas that are readily available to us, clear out creosote buildup, and check for minor repairs.
Video Inspections
If you are making major repairs or changes to your chimney system, or if you are selling your home, then your chimney needs a Level Two inspection. If we’re doing this level of inspection, we won’t do anything too intrusive like remove panels, but we will need to take a look inside your chimney. This requires special video equipment. We snake this equipment down into your chimney and see everything up close, from top to bottom. This is important because there could be hidden interior damage that needs to be addressed. Sometimes, the damage occurred because of a natural disaster such as a tornado or major wind storm.
Another thing that may have occurred is an undetected chimney fire. Although we tend to think of chimney fires as devastating, roaring events that cause complete destruction, this is often not the case. Fires need air to burn hot and hard, and most often your chimney doesn’t supply enough air to let this happen. In fact, most often a chimney fire happens without the homeowner even being aware of it. This is not good, because it means your chimney may have sustained damage that needs to be repaired. This could lead to dangerous leaks and costly repairs in the future.
If you have had major chimney damage and it is to the point that interior panels must be removed, we’ll need to do a Level Three chimney inspection. This goes beyond video inspection, as we need to get to the bottom of the issue. Sometimes, this means the removal of part of your chimney to further investigate an issue.
Call Chimney Concepts Today
To make sure that your chimney is running as safely and efficiently as possible, give Chimney Concepts a call today and set up an appointment for your next chimney inspection and cleaning. Our team can’t wait to help!