Dearborn Heights, Wayne County
Chimney inspection in Dearborn Heights
In Dearborn Heights, a chimney inspection often starts in the basement, where the furnace and water heater connect to a flue that was laid up in the 1950s.
Why people book an inspection here
Most Dearborn Heights houses went up in the 1950s and 1960s, and the chimney on one of them has usually been through several owners and a couple of furnaces. Buyers book an inspection before closing. Sellers book one before listing. Others call after the furnace is replaced, or because the fireplace hasn't been used since they moved in.
Water is the other reason. The south end of the city sits in the Ecorse Creek watershed, which is prone to flooding, and the north end drains to the Rouge. When a heavy storm puts water in the basement around the base of a chimney or the furnace connection, it's worth a look.
Two levels, two prices
A Level 1 inspection is $49. We check the fireplace and damper, the parts of the flue we can see, and the outside of the chimney, including the crown and flashing. The $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do after the inspection.
A Level 2 inspection is $149. We do everything in a Level 1, plus the chimney areas in the attic, basement and crawl space, and we run a camera through the flue. It's the usual choice for a home sale, a change to what vents into the chimney, or after a chimney fire or storm. You can add the camera to a Level 1 for $75. See our guide to chimney inspection levels for more on which one fits.
Cape Cods in the north end
The Crestwood area in the north end has post-war Cape Cods mixed in with the ranches. On a Cape Cod, the chimney runs up through a finished upstairs, past knee-wall attic spaces on either side. A Level 1 inspection doesn't go into those spaces. A Level 2 does, and that's where we'd find a stain on the framing or a gap in the brick next to a bedroom wall.
After the inspection
We go through what we found in plain language, with photos. If anything needs fixing, you get a written quote and decide when you're ready. If the fireplace only needs a sweep, a chimney sweep in Dearborn Heights is $349 and comes with an inspection on the same visit.
Questions
Our basement took water in a storm. Should we have the chimney looked at?
It's worth it if water reached the base of the chimney or the furnace and water heater area. The cleanout door and the connection where the appliances vent into the chimney sit low, and they can rust or shift. A Level 2 inspection covers the chimney in the basement and puts a camera through the flue, so you see the whole thing.
We just replaced our furnace. Does the chimney need checking?
Often, yes. A new high-efficiency furnace usually vents out the side of the house through plastic pipe, which leaves the water heater alone in a flue sized for two appliances. That can cause condensation and draft problems. Our guide to a water heater in an old chimney explains it, and a Level 2 inspection will tell you where yours stands.
Chimney inspection near Dearborn Heights
Chimney inspection in Dearborn Heights
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.