Chimney inspection that starts with your question in El Portal

The estimate that follows the inspection

When the inspection finds work worth doing, each item goes on a free written estimate. The estimate names the part, the repair and the price. Related items are listed separately so you can see what each one costs.

You can approve all, some or none of it. If one repair depends on another, we explain the order. There are no hidden fees added later, and a change in scope is discussed with you before it happens. The estimate uses the same part names as the findings, so the two are easy to match.

Questions to ask after the inspection

Before we leave, these questions help you use what the inspection found.

The written record covers the same ground. Standing at the fireplace while we answer usually makes the points clearer, so point to anything you want us to go over again. If something is unclear once we have gone, call and ask again.

• Is the fireplace safe to use as it stands
• Which finding matters most, and why
• What could not be seen, and does it matter
• Which repairs depend on others being done ahead of them

Inspecting for the source of a chimney odor

A smell from the fireplace can come from deposits, water in the masonry, debris on the smoke shelf or air moving down the flue. The source decides the fix, so it is worth finding before anything is cleaned or sealed.

Tell us when the smell appears: after rain, with the air conditioning on or only when a fire is lit. We look at the flue, the shelf, the damper and the top with that pattern in mind. The findings say which source is most likely and what would address it.

A chimney safety inspection in El Portal

A safety inspection in El Portal focuses on the conditions that affect whether the fireplace can be used. Those include the lining, clearances to combustible material, the damper, deposits in the flue and blockages at the top.

Each finding is marked by whether it affects use now. If something must be fixed before the next fire, we say so and put it in writing. Other items are explained so you can plan them at your own pace. A safety inspection does not replace the rest of the findings, and we list those as well.