Chimney inspection in Farmington

Postwar Farmington

Farmington's first annexation came in 1948, when the Floral Park subdivision joined the city. In 1957 the Farmington Little Farms annexation added 457 acres and carried the city south to Eight Mile. Much of what was built on that land went up in the years after World War II, and a typical house from then has a single brick chimney with two or three flues: one for the fireplace and the rest for the furnace and water heater.

That second flue is where we find a lot to talk about. Furnaces get replaced every twenty years or so. When a new one vents out the side wall, the water heater can be left alone in a flue sized for both, and the gases cool and condense before they get out. Our guide on a water heater in an old chimney explains what that does over time.

Reasons to book one

Buying or selling a house is a common one, and so is a fireplace nobody has used since the family moved in. It's also worth a look after a new furnace or water heater goes in, after a storm drops branches on the roof, or when the fireplace smells on damp days.

Level 1 or Level 2

A Level 1 inspection is $49, credited toward any repair or service we do after it. We check the firebox, the damper, every flue we can see, the crown and the flashing.

A Level 2 inspection is $149. It adds the chimney areas in the attic, basement and crawl space, plus a camera through the flue. It's the usual choice for a home sale, a change to the heating system, or after a chimney fire or storm. Our guide to chimney inspection levels goes through the difference, and what an inspection costs covers the prices. A camera can be added to a Level 1 for $75.

A Level 1 takes about an hour. You hear what we found in plain language before you spend anything else. If you'll be lighting fires this winter, a chimney sweep and cleaning in Farmington includes the inspection for $349.