When you are buying a home, you must go through several different procedures before the sale can go through, and one of these procedures is a home inspection. Many people believe that the home inspector will be able to examine the chimney to see if it is working safely; however, not all home inspectors are chimney experts. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) established three levels of chimney inspections, and the Level 2 chimney inspection is recommended whenever a home is being bought or sold. You will need a chimney professional to perform this inspection as home inspectors are not required to do so. In fact, many home inspectors simply shine a flashlight up a chimney to look for problems. This is not sufficient as several serious chimney problems are not easily seen from this angle. As Ashley Eldridge, the Director of Education for the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), has said, “Home inspectors are generalists. A CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep is a specialist.” At Ashbusters, our CSIA-certified chimney technicians are experienced in performing Level 2 chimney inspections for real estate transactions. We would like to tell you more about this type of chimney inspection and why it is more in-depth than the average home inspection.
A Level 2 chimney inspection includes video scans of your chimney’s interior.
You would not want to buy a home that has a dangerous chimney. Several issues that could cause a chimney to work unsafely can only be seen up close inside the chimney. Thanks to closed circuit video technology, Ashbusters can get inside your chimney to see every inch of its interior. Even better, you will have a record of any damage that you can use in negotiations with the seller. If we find damage that you feel the seller should repair, you can show the seller exactly what needs to be repaired.
A Level 2 chimney inspection is more thorough than the basic Level 1 inspection.
When you have your chimney swept every year, the basic Level 1 chimney inspection is included. This is a visual check of your chimney to look for creosote accumulation, damage, and flue blockages. A Level 2 goes further with an examination of the attic, crawl space, and/or basement to look for potential problems in these areas.
A Level 2 chimney inspection is recommended for real estate transactions.
Of course, you want to know everything about the house you would like to buy, and that is why the NFPA and the CSIA strongly recommend that you hire a certified chimney professional to perform a Level 2 inspection. Other situations that require this level of chimney inspection include after changing the fuel type of the heating appliance and after experiencing an earthquake or a major weather event such as a tornado or a hurricane. Your safety is the reason for a more thorough chimney inspection.
If you are planning on buying a house, you need to have the chimney professionally inspected. Contact us at Ashbusters to schedule your Level 2 chimney inspection today.