Chimney inspection in Orchard Lake

Summer places made over

Orchard Lake became a village in 1928, when much of it was still summer houses for Detroit families. The city's master plan describes what came next: cottages and second homes turned into year-round houses, then larger houses. A fireplace that was built for a few cool evenings in August may now be heating a living room all winter. That's a lot more use than it was built for. An inspection checks whether the flue is lined, what shape the firebox and damper are in, and whether the chimney has kept up with the changes to the house.

Rebuilt since the 1990s

Public water and sewer came to Orchard Lake in the 1990s, and the master plan notes that it sped up the rebuilding, especially on the lakefront. Some of the newer houses have a factory-built fireplace with a metal flue running up inside a stone or framed chase, with a stainless cover on top like the one in the photo. On those, we check the cover and the cap, the pipe and its joints, and the panels inside the firebox. Rust on a cover, or a stain on the ceiling near the chase, is a reason to call.

When to book

Before buying or selling a house, before lighting a fireplace that hasn't been used in years, after a storm or a chimney fire, and when you change what vents into the chimney. On a lake house that sits empty for part of the year, it's also worth a look before the first fire of the season, since nests and leaves collect when nobody's home.

A Level 1 is $49 and is credited toward any repair or service we do after it. A camera down the flue can be added for $75. A Level 2 is $149 and includes the camera, plus the chimney in the attic, basement and crawl space. Our guide to chimney inspection levels explains which one fits, and the chimney inspection cost guide covers what you pay. If you burn wood, a chimney sweep in Orchard Lake includes an inspection on the same visit.