Ferndale, Oakland County
Chimney inspection in Ferndale
A lot of Ferndale chimneys hold more flues than the house uses today, and an inspection is how you find out what each one is connected to and what shape it's in.
Why people here book one
Someone has just bought a 1920s bungalow and wants to know what's up the chimney before the first fire. A new furnace now vents out the side wall, and the old flue has been left to the water heater. A basement fireplace hasn't been lit since the last owners, and nobody knows its condition. Those are the usual reasons, and each one needs a different look.
Two or three flues in one chimney
The first land in Ferndale to be cut into house lots was Urbanrest, north of 9 Mile around Hilton Road, in 1890. Most of the city filled in through the 1920s, when houses burned coal and many had a second fireplace in the basement. So it's common to find two or three flues in one chimney. Some have been closed off at the top, like the two filled-in tiles in the photo.
We look at every flue, tell you which fireplace or appliance it serves, and check whether an unused one was sealed properly or just covered over.
The east side after a furnace change
Many of the east side's 1950s houses sent the furnace and the water heater up one clay flue. When the furnace is swapped for one that vents through the wall, the water heater is left alone in a flue sized for both. It may not draft well, and its exhaust can condense inside the chimney. Our guide to the water heater in an old chimney covers the signs.
Level 1 or Level 2
A Level 1 is $49. We check the fireplace, the damper, the flue as far as we can see it and the outside of the chimney, and the $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do after. A Level 2 is $149 and adds the chimney in the attic, basement and crawl space, plus a camera down the flue. It's the one for a home sale, a change to what vents into the chimney, or after a chimney fire or a storm. A camera can be added to a Level 1 for $75. Our guide to chimney inspection levels explains which fits. If you also use the fireplace, a chimney sweep in Ferndale includes an inspection on the same visit.
Questions
Our Ferndale bungalow has a fireplace in the basement. Can we start using it?
Have it swept and inspected first. A basement fireplace that has sat unused for years may have cracked tiles, a nest or debris in it, or a cap sealed over the top. We check the firebox, the damper and the flue, and tell you whether it's ready for a fire or what it would take to get it there.
Is a $49 inspection enough when we're buying a house in Ferndale?
For a home sale we'd suggest a Level 2, which is $149. It covers the chimney where it runs through the attic and basement and adds a camera down the flue, so you see the inside of the tiles before you close. Call early in your inspection period so there's time to price any repair.
Chimney inspection near Ferndale
Chimney inspection in Ferndale
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.