Real Estate Chimney Inspection In Ewing Township NJ – Level 1,2 & 3 Chimney Inspections
How important are chimney inspections? Very! Homeowners throughout Ewing, NJ, rely on Mercer County Chimney Services for annual certified chimney inspections to avoid many of the problems that arise with neglected chimneys.
What Is a Chimney Inspection?
Chimney inspections should be performed only by experienced technicians who understand your chimney system inside and out. Often that means individuals who have gained a chimney sweep certification through the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA).
Chimney inspections are hands-on operations, with the technician using his or her eyes, hands and possibly video imaging to do a proper job. There are three “levels” of inspection defined by the CSIA, which we’ll briefly look at below.
Your Home Could Be at Risk
By neglecting to schedule annual chimney inspections, three things could happen:
- Your chimney could become severely damaged over time
- Areas of your home near the chimney could suffer fire and water damage
- People living in your home could be at risk of health issues by inhaling dangerous flue gases such as carbon monoxide
The bottom-line value of a chimney inspection is spotting early signs of damage and malfunction within your chimney system and arranging for needed repairs before the problem gets out of hand.
Level 1 Inspections
This is the basic chimney inspection we perform regularly for our Ewing Township customers. We thoroughly check out the chimney’s masonry and structural elements as well as components such as the chimney cap, chimney crown and fireplace damper. Level 1 chimney inspections are performed when there is no known damage or malfunction in the system.
Level 2 Inspections
Level 2 chimney inspections are called for:
- During the sale of a home
- When altering your system such as converting the fuel type of your fireplace, installing a new chimney liner or adding a new appliance to the vent system
- Following a known malfunction, a chimney fire, damaging weather, or seismic event
These inspections take a more in-depth look at the interior and exterior of your chimney and nearby parts of your home and include video scanning of areas in the flue we can’t see with our eyes.
Level 3 Inspections
If your Ewing chimney has suffered serious damage, we’ll perform a Level 3 chimney inspection, which includes all the tasks in the previous two levels as well as possibly removing sections of the chimney, its components and adjacent materials of the house.
About Real Estate Chimney Inspections In Ewing NJ
Level 2 chimney inspections, also referred to as real estate chimney inspections, are required during the sale of most types of homes or dwellings. A home inspector may or may not thoroughly inspect the chimney during a transaction, but even if he or she does, this is not the individual you want performing this service.
When you’re selling your Ewing home, you want to ensure the chimney is safe for the new owners. When you’re buying a home in the Ewing area, you want to ensure it’s safe for you. A professional real estate chimney inspection will determine the condition of the chimney inside and out so any necessary work can be done to bring the system back into proper working order.
Mercer County Chimney Services performs Level 2 inspections for both buyers and sellers.
If it’s time to have your chimney looked at, count on our 30+years’ experience in helping our Ewing Township, NJ, customers with expert chimney inspections. Learn more about our inspection services or schedule an appointment by calling (609) 802-5288.
