Chimney inspection in Garden City

Why people here book one

When Garden City's original one-acre garden plots were split up, the lots got narrow and the houses got small. People book an inspection here when they are buying one of those houses, or for one of these reasons:

• The furnace was replaced and now vents out the side wall, and the water heater may be the only thing left in the chimney.
• The fireplace hasn't been used since they moved in.
• There's a stain on the ceiling near the chimney after a hard rain.

Our guide on a water heater in an old chimney explains what happens when the furnace leaves and the water heater stays.

What each level covers

A Level 1 inspection is $49. We check the fireplace, the damper and as much of the flue as we can see, then go up and look at the crown, the flue tiles, the cap and the flashing. The $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do afterward.

A Level 2 is $149. It adds the chimney where it passes through the attic, the basement and any crawl space, and a camera through the flue. It's the right one for a sale, a change to the heating system, or after a chimney fire or storm. You can add the camera to a Level 1 for $75. Chimney inspection levels has the full difference, and what a chimney inspection costs goes through the prices. Either way, we walk you through what we found in plain language before we leave.

One tile, one flue

On a chimney like the one in the photo, each clay tile on top is a separate flue. One goes to the fireplace. Another may go to the furnace or water heater in the basement. We check each one and tell you what it's connected to, whether it's still in use, and whether the crown around it is letting water in. A flue that's no longer connected to anything can be capped or closed off, and we'll tell you whether that makes sense for yours. If the fireplace flue needs sweeping, we can do it on a chimney cleaning visit.