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Chimney Inspections – Chimney Repairs
Chimney Sweep – Houston

chimney inspections, chimney repairs, chimney maintenance, houston texas, Livingston TX

Chimney Inspections Save Lives

Save lives and prevent costly chimney repairs with an annual chimney inspection. Scheduling a chimney inspection every year ensures that your chimney is safe to use at the start of each burning season. The inspections can also check the venting system on your wood stoves or furnace. This inspection is necessary to make sure that the entire chimney system is operating as it should. Each year, thousands of preventable fires and chimney related incidents occur that could have been prevented with a yearly chimney inspection.

 

Do I really need a chimney inspection?

chimney inspection in houston area, chimney repairs, chimney maintenance, houston texasEven if you rarely use your fireplace, stove or furnace, a chimney inspection is still a good idea. If you sporadically use your chimney, in the periods of time between uses birds, squirrels or rodents may make nests in your chimney or sticks, leaves, and other debris may fall into the chimney creating a highly flammable chimney blockage.  Also, severe weather or even regular wear and tear on the chimney may lead to structural problems or interior issues that you may not be aware of before you light the next fire. In fact, over 200 million dollars in property loss results from fires built in unsafe chimneys each year, not including the many unnecessary deaths from this lack of safety as well. There is a wide range of causes that may have rendered your chimney unsafe for use since the last time you built a fire in the fireplace. For this reason, even if you do not regularly use your fireplace, an annual chimney inspection is still necessary to operate your chimney safely. At Guardian Chimney Sweeps, we highly recommend annual chimney inspections and cleanings regardless of your usage patterns to avoid unwanted damages and danger.

What type of chimney inspections do I need?

As industry standards dictate, there are three different levels of chimney inspections. The inspection standards were established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The inspection levels are referred to as Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.

Level 1 Chimney Inspection

chimney inspection, chimney repairs, houston texas, Humble TX, Aldine TXThe first level of chimney inspection is the most basic. This inspection is used to verify that your chimney, appliance, or venting system is working safely. The level one inspection is to be used when no changes have been done to the system and no known problems exist with the structure. This inspection may also be combined with an annual chimney cleaning to further ensure the safety of the appliance.

For this inspection our professional chimney sweep examines the accessible internal and external components of the chimney and appliance or chimney connection. This thorough examination includes checking the firebox, smoke chamber, damper, chimney cap, and chimney crown. The structural elements of the chimney will also be examined and the system will be checked for any blockages or combustible buildup.

Level 2 Chimney Inspection

The level two chimney inspection is primarily for instances when any changes have been done to the chimney system. This includes changes of the fuel type, chimney relining, and a replaced furnace or appliance. This inspection may also be used if the home recently changed owners, so that the new homeowners can verify the system’s performance, or if there was a recent chimney fire.

At this level, the inspection includes all of the components of a level one inspection with an added video component. A color video inspection is used to get a look at the internal surfaces and joints within the chimney. This inspection gets a comprehensive look at all internal and external components of the chimney. A written report is then presented to the homeowner detailing any points of concern found during the inspection.

Level 3 Chimney Inspection

chimney inspection, chimney cleaning, chimney repairs, houston tx, Kingswood TX, Aldine TXAs with the level 2 inspection, all components of the previous inspections are included in the level 3 inspection. The level 3 inspection is more intrusive then the other levels. For this inspection, parts of the chimney hidden from view may need to be removed and examined for deficiencies. To get to these parts of the chimney, the chimney inspector may need to remove bricks, metal flue pipes, masonry, chimney crowns, chimney caps, interior chimney walls, or any other parts of the chimney system. A level 3 inspection is only necessary when one of the previous inspections reveals a serious problem and the only way to access the area is to open up the chimney. These inspections are extremely rare and are only necessary in about 2 percent of all inspections.

Prevent an intrusive inspection from becoming necessary, and schedule annual chimney inspections and cleanings with Guardian Chimney Sweeps.

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