Romulus, Wayne County
Chimney inspection in Romulus
Thousands of Romulus houses got new windows, insulation and often a new furnace through the airport's sound insulation program, and that kind of change can leave a chimney doing a different job than it was built for.
Why people in Romulus book one
Romulus covers about 36 square miles, from Van Born Road down to Pennsylvania Road and from Inkster Road west to Hannan, and the houses inside those lines range from pre-war ranches to subdivisions built twenty years ago. So the reasons for an inspection vary. Buyers want to know what they're getting before closing. Owners want to know whether a fireplace nobody has lit in years is in usable shape. And a lot of houses had their heating changed in the last thirty years.
Houses from the sound insulation program
Between 1997 and 2006, the airport's program worked on more than 2,400 houses in Romulus and a few neighboring communities. Many of them got a new furnace. A high-efficiency furnace usually vents out the side wall through plastic pipe, and when that happens the old chimney flue may be left venting only the water heater, or nothing at all. A flue sized for two appliances can be too big for one, and the exhaust cools and condenses on the way up. Our guide to a water heater in an old chimney covers what that does to the clay tile.
A tighter house can also make an old fireplace smoke into the room, because it can't pull enough air.
Level 1 or Level 2
A Level 1 inspection is $49. We look at the parts of the chimney and fireplace we can reach without special tools: the firebox, the flue, the outside of the chimney and the connection to the furnace or water heater. The $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do after it.
A Level 2 is $149. It adds the chimney where it runs through the attic, basement and crawl space, and a camera run through the flue. Book it when you're buying or selling, when the heating system has been changed, or after a chimney fire or a storm. The photo shows what the camera sees in a clay flue: the tile joints, the soot, and any cracks. You can add the camera to a Level 1 for $75. Our guide to chimney inspection levels goes through the difference.
Buying in Romulus
Call early in your inspection period, so there's time to get any repair priced before you negotiate. If the inspection turns up heavy buildup, we can sweep the chimney on the same trip or a later one.
Questions
Our Romulus house got a new furnace through the airport sound program. Should the chimney be checked?
It's worth a look. A new furnace may have been switched to a side-wall vent, leaving the water heater alone in a flue that was built for both. That can mean weak draft and moisture soaking into the flue. A $49 Level 1 inspection shows what's connected to each flue and whether the setup still makes sense. If the water heater needs a liner, we price it in writing.
Is a Level 2 inspection worth it when buying a house in Romulus?
If the house has a chimney or a factory-built fireplace you plan to use, it usually is. A general home inspection looks at the fireplace from the room and the chimney from the ground. A Level 2 at $149 covers the attic, basement and crawl space sections and puts a camera down the flue, so damage hidden inside shows up before closing.
Chimney inspection near Romulus
Chimney inspection in Romulus
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.