Just by having your chimneys inspected routinely, you lower the risks of any harm coming to you, your family, and your property. Be wise about it!
Possible Dangers of Leaving Your Chimney without any Maintenance
To give a vivid picture of what harm a neglected chimney is capable of causing, here are some of the possible scenarios:
- Leaky chimneys signaling the presence of structural damage that could leave your chimney to topple over at a gust of wind
- Fatal carbon monoxide poisoning
- Chimney fires that could envelope your home and the homes next door
- Increased respiratory problems due to mold or poor draft
Make Chimney Inspection a Yearly Routine
At this point, I don’t think that we need to emphasize how important it is to take care of your chimney, just as much as you do to the rest of the house. That’s why the CSIA strongly recommends that chimney inspections be done at least once a year. So if you’re up for a chimney inspection, please do make an appointment with us at Owens Chimney Systems. But before we even begin with the process we want our customers to be well-informed and feel that they are in control of their own property. In light of this, here are some basics on how the three levels of chimney inspections work.
Differing Levels of Inspection
Level 1 is the routine inspection required every year that usually goes with chimney sweeping. This level of inspection is recommended when nothing has been altered with your home heating system. There are no specialty tools needed because the technician will mostly examine the accessible areas of the chimney.
Level 2 will be needed when there are changes done to the system, such as relining the flue or changing the heating appliance, or when you just moved into a house. Another reason for this degree of inspection is when damaging events such as earthquakes happen. At this level, there will be a video scanning of the chimney to reveal potential internal damages to the chimney.
Lastly, Level 3 is the most comprehensive of all. In fact, there might be a need to demolish or remove certain parts of either the chimney or the house in order to fully evaluate and fix something in an inaccessible area of the chimney. This will only be done after a Level 1 or Level 2 inspection shows that there is a need to further evaluate. But not to worry, the licensed professionals here at Owens Chimney Systems are experts at what they do and we will always make sure that you are well-informed about what is taking place in your property.