Chimney inspection in Idlewyld, explained at the hearth

A chimney inspection for a home sale

When a house is being bought or sold, the chimney questions are usually specific. Share what the buyer, seller or agent needs to know before the visit. The scope is agreed at the start, so the inspection answers those questions.

Findings are explained on site and written down, and any repair comes with a free written estimate. We describe the condition we saw. We do not issue a pass or fail for the whole chimney, and concealed parts stay described as concealed.

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 before you light the next fire

An inspection before a planned fire is a sensible step when the fireplace has not been looked at in some time. It confirms the flue is clear, the damper works and nothing has changed at the top.

Book it with enough time before you intend to use the fireplace. If the inspection finds something to repair, you then have time to decide and schedule it without rushing. A repair squeezed in before a planned fire is harder to do well.

Inspecting the throat above the firebox

Between the firebox and the smoke chamber lies the throat, a narrow passage that usually holds the damper. Its shape guides smoke from the fire into the flue. A throat that is misshapen, partly blocked or crusted with deposits can push smoke back into the room.

We look at the throat from below with a strong light and note its shape, its surface and how the damper sits in it. If the throat is part of a draft complaint, we explain whether a change there would help or whether the cause lies higher up.