Chimney questions, answered honestly

NFPA 211 calls for a yearly inspection, with sweeping when it’s needed. A wood stove or insert that runs every day usually needs sweeping at least once a season, and sometimes mid-winter too. We’ll tell you how fast yours is building up so you can plan.

Many antique chimneys were built with no flue liner at all, or have liners that have cracked over time. A camera inspection shows what’s there. If it isn’t safe, a stainless steel liner sized to your fireplace or stove usually lets you keep using it.

Yes. Current codes call for a full-length liner from the insert to the top of the chimney. Many older inserts were installed without one, which lets creosote build up in the smoke chamber and makes the insert draft poorly. We check this on every insert we sweep.

Usually a cracked crown, a missing cap, worn mortar joints or failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof. We find the source before we quote a fix.

Yes. A Level 2 inspection, with a camera run up the flue and a check of the accessible parts of the chimney, comes with a written report and photos for your attorney, home inspector or insurer.

It depends on the chimney. A single fireplace and a wood stove with a 30-foot liner are very different jobs, so we quote after seeing it. The quote comes before the work and doesn’t change afterwards.