Chimney inspection in Westview, explained at the hearth

Chimney inspection terms worth knowing

An inspection names parts you may not have heard of. Knowing a few makes the findings easier to follow.

We are glad to show you where each part sits while we are there. Once you have seen the crown or the smoke chamber, later conversations about them are much simpler.

• The crown is the sloped top surface of a masonry chimney
• Flashing seals the joint between chimney and roof
• The liner is the inner surface of the flue
• The smoke chamber sits between the damper and the flue

Whether the flue suits the fireplace opening

A flue has to be large enough for the opening it serves, or smoke can spill into the room. The Florida Building Code's chimney chapter relates the flue area of a masonry fireplace to the opening it serves. A mismatch often shows up as smoke at the start of each fire.

We compare the flue and the opening during the inspection and explain the relationship without quoting figures. If they do not suit each other, the options range from small changes at the opening to relining. Each option is explained with its trade-offs.

Inspecting fireplaces on two floors of one chimney

Where a chimney serves fireplaces on two floors, each usually has its own flue. The Florida Building Code calls for masonry between flues that sit side by side. A fault in that wall can let smoke from one enter the other.

We match each fireplace to its flue and look at both, including the top where they end. If smoke or odor from one fireplace has appeared in the other room, tell us, because it points to a specific problem. The findings describe each flue separately, so it is clear which needs work.

Checking fasteners and flashing near the coast

Near salt air, fasteners and flashing edges can corrode before the parts they hold. A cap or chase cover with sound metal but rusted screws can still lift in a strong wind.

We check the fixings as well as the parts they fasten and note any that have lost their grip. The estimate explains which parts and fixings need replacing and which metal suits a salt-exposed setting. Rust streaks below a fastener can be an early sign, before the part itself loosens.