Our Company Blog

What’s Hidden in Your Chimney? The Benefits of a Video Chimney Scan

From the National Fire Protection Association to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, the leading authorities on chimney safety promote the importance of having an  annual chimney sweeping and inspectionto keep your home safe from the dangers of a chimney fire. At Your Chimney Sweep, we take our chimney inspections one step further by employing Chim-Scan video inspections.

What is a Chim-Scan inspection?

A Chim-Scan chimney inspection is, simply put, a video inspection of your chimney’s interior. For the inspection, a specialized chimney camera is inserted through your fireplace and up your chimney’s flue.

Why does Your Chimney Sweep believe in Chim-Scan inspections?

It is easy for damage to stay hidden within your chimney. While video chimney scans usually are recommended if visual inspections hint at significant interior damage, we believe video inspections are always valuable. Chim-Scan inspections allow us to spot damage early, before it can lead to major structural damage or before it can allow a fire to escape your chimney and ignite in your home.

With a Chim-Scan video inspection, we can spot a variety of problems within your chimney, from cracks in the liner to water-damaged flue tiles. Additionally, many chimney fires are small-scale blazes that go unnoticed. They can cause enough damage to weaken your chimney system and put your home at risk. With a Chim-Scan video inspection, we can spot those subtle signs of damage and help you avoid a more extensive and more dangerous chimney fire in the future.

The other major benefit of a chimney scan is that it allows us to share the results of our chimney inspections with our clients! With a Chim-Scan video inspection, you don’t have to take our word that your chimney has damage that needs to be addressed; we can show you! That video evidence can help us clearly illustrate any chimney problems and can help us work with our clients to formulate the best solutions for having their chimneys in safe working order.

When should you have a Chim-Scan inspection?

The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends a video chimney scan as part of a Level II chimney inspection when chimney systems have undergone any changes, when they have suffered damage from a fire, a storm or a seismic event, or when a property with a chimney undergoes a sale. At Your Chimney Sweep, we believe that video chimney scans are beneficial as part of any chimney inspection to give you a clear picture of what is going on inside your chimney.

If you are worried that your chimney has suffered damage or if you are purchasing a property with a chimney needing a Chim-Scan inspection, call Your Chimney Sweep today!

Schedule Your Chimney Sweeping Appointment Now!

With summer temperatures at their peak, your fireplace and chimney are probably the furthest thing from your mind. But fall will be here before you know it, which is why you should schedule your chimney sweeping now! Thinking ahead and having your chimney swept this summer brings many benefits.

Beat the fall rush.

Chimney sweeping is a fall tradition. Each year, that is when most homeowners call their sweeps and schedule their appointments. When you wait to schedule your chimney sweeping during our busiest time of the year, you risk having a long wait time to see a chimney sweep. When you call to schedule your appointment now, you will be first in line for your annual chimney sweeping and inspection!

Identify repairs early.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to having your chimney swept and inspected early is that it allows you to identify any needed repairs or maintenance early. If your summer inspection turns up problems with your chimney, you have plenty of time to have those problems addressed before you are ready to use your fireplace.

Prevent foul odors.

Summer’s heat and humidity can cause unpleasant odors in your chimney. Creosote, the sticky substance that builds up on your chimney walls each time you burn a fire, can cause an acrid, burning smell when it mixes with moisture and heats up. Having creosote cleared away from your chimney can get rid of any unpleasant fireplace smells filling your home this summer.

Stop damage.

The creosote that builds up in your chimney also can damage your fireplace and chimney. It is corrosive in nature and can wear away chimney liners and fireplace components. Sweeping it away instead of letting it sit in the chimney all summer can help to prevent some of that damage. Additionally, if you have minor leaks in your chimney that developed over the past winter, having them identified and repaired now can prevent further water damage. It seems like summer would be easy on a chimney, but heavy rainstorms can wreak havoc on your home and chimney if chimney leaks go unchecked.

Don’t miss out on fall fires!

Most homeowners have busy schedules, and remembering to schedule an appointment, and finding time for that appointment, can be difficult. If you wait too long to schedule your chimney sweeping, fall could be here before you chimney is ready. As you probably know, you should never light a fire before you chimney has been swept, inspected and approved for the coming winter.

If you are ready to beat the fall rush and have your chimney swept, inspected and repaired before fall sets in, call Your Chimney Sweep to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection today!