You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it first, would you? Of course not. You want to know what you are buying when you’re investing a lot of money into something. The same holds true for when you’re buying a new home. You need to look over your home and make sure that everything is functioning correctly and up to your standards. Home inspections are important, however, when you are inspecting your home it is also important to make sure that you inspect all areas of your home. One critical part of the home that sometimes gets overlooked is your chimney and fireplace. If you plan on using your fireplace, this can be a very costly error. Chimney’s that aren’t functional can be expensive to repair and can be a huge safety risk to you and your family. At Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions, we offer realty chimney inspections. We can look at your chimney and ventilation systems and give you an assessment of your chimney and ventilation health before you buy or sell your home.
What is required for a realty inspection?
According to The Chimney Safety Institute of America, there are three levels of chimney inspection ranging from a visual inspection of the chimney (Level I) to an inspection where masonry has to be deconstructed for an inspection (Level III). A realty inspection (a Level II inspection) falls in between these two types of inspections. During a Level II inspection, an inspector will inspect all the areas of your chimney that are easily accessible. There is also a visual inspection of the outside of your chimney, however, the inspector must give a thorough inspection of the inside of the chimney as well. This must be done with a specialty camera that goes up inside your chimney allowing the inspector to scan every square inch of the inside of your chimney. During this inspection, the inspector will look for any signs of wear, cracking, creosote buildup, etc. If the inspector notices any issues that may be of concern, they will be discussed in detail with the person who authorized the inspection.
If you’re in the market for a new home or want to be sure your home is ready to go on the market, call Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions Our chimney inspectors have decades of experience and have been certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), meaning that they have gone through rigorous training and testing on the latest chimney inspection and safety techniques. If you’re ready for a reality inspection, call us at Hale’s Chimney & Fireplace Solutions 972-562-6851 or schedule an appointment with one of our certified chimney technicians online today.