Chimney Inspection Buying Home
To help ensure the safety of the chimney that comes with your new home, you need a chimney company to inspect every inch of the firebox and flue to recommend repairs. Doing so helps maintain the integrity of your fireplaces burning system, as well as the resale value of your home.
chimney inspection buying home
However, for the safest fireplace and chimney operation, hire a certified professional to conduct your inspections. Regular Level One inspections cost less than a Level Two or Three inspection. Plus, routine inspections can keep you from expensive chimney repairs that can happen if your chimney goes too long without a professional look.
When choosing the chimney sweep company to perform your inspection, make sure you hire a certified technician. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) provides training and certification to chimney sweeps across the U.S. This certification ensures that your inspector has the proper training to work in and around your chimney safely. They also understand the national standards for safe chimney structure and use.
Chimney inspectors help protect you and your family by recognizing unsafe conditions in your chimney system. Full Service Chimney has more than 30 years of experience performing inspections to homes in the Kansas City area.
A Home Inspector reviews a few external elements of fireplaces and chimneys during their inspection in our local experience. Then refers the customer to a certified chimney specialist.
Home inspections done on prefabricated fireplace systems are different when compared to masonry units, but not by much. Prefab chimney structures typically have siding, stucco, or decorative veneer on the outside (exterior). On the inside (interior), the fireplace often has tile, marble, or decorative facing.
Each inspection tells our technician a specific and unique story. How it was used, was maintenance kept upon, was it built correctly, are their hidden combustibles warped from heat exposure, and sometimes we can tell if the chimney has suffered a flue fire.
Chimney inspection is a must when buying or selling a house. Read about why it is essential to order chimney inspection when buying a home. See bellow which level of chimney inspection is recommended when buying or selling a home. Meet the main advantages of chimney inspection when buying a home. Make sure to reduce the risk and danger of not inspecting chimney before buying or selling a house.
State of the chimney and fireplace is often overlooked when homes are sold. However, this can cause several issues to new owners. If the chimney or fireplace is damaged or not in a good state it could at least allow buyer to negotiate the price of the house. It is also in the interest of a buyer to buy an immaculate home.
Although the price of a chimney repair might not be high or considerable it can happen that chimney or fireplace will require larger repairs. That can lead to potential high expenses for a new homeowner.
Therefore, it is best for buyer to order chimney inspection before signing the dotted line. The cost of chimney inspection is negligible compared to chimney repair cost. It reduces the risk of accident and it allows the buyer to use the chimney immediately when he moves in the new home.
When choosing a level of chimney inspection when buying a home, you should consider chimney and fireplace inspection that will check all the fuel burning fireplaces, stoves, fireplace inserts, chimney and every other connected burning device and its coil.
For both buying and selling a house a level 2 chimney inspection works best. Since level 1 chimney inspection is most common it is not suitable for buying a home. It is the minimum of inspection and appropriate for using appliance or venting chimney the way you always have.
It is best to be conducted by a certified chimney Sweep. Level 2 chimney inspection includes overall inspection of design and state of the chimneys and fireplaces along with venting inspection and other connected systems. It allows to find every possible error and understand the possibilities of the chimney system and possible upgrades.
If the potential buyers of your house find out that there are errors in chimney and related devices it can cause doubt about what other mistakes and errors are hidden. Chimney inspection on level e2 is also a requirement prior to the sale or transfer of a property according to the National Fire Protection Association-211 Code Book. Inspection level 2 has a several advantages to buyer and seller:
When choosing a chimney sweep company for level 2 inspection before buying or selling a house, it must be done right, and it must be legally valid. Best for you is to find chimney professionals that are licensed and will perform a valid chimney inspection. They will also issue a statement about the state of the chimney. Which will cover you in every aspect.
Get in touch with us for a free estimate and more information about chimney inspection level 2 for buying or selling a house. We will give you all the required information and prepare you offer for level 2 chimney inspection along with all the documentation you need for buying or selling a house.
Not all chimney inspections are the same. Some techs might simply shine a light up in your fireplace and call it a day. But here at CSIA, we know that no two chimneys are the same, and that different chimneys and different situations may require different types of care.
*Readily accessible means: Exposed, or capable of being exposed, for operation, inspection, maintenance, or repair, without the use of tools to open or remove doors, panels, or coverings. **Accessible means: May require the use of commonly available tools to remove doors, panels, or coverings, but will not damage the chimney or building structure or finish.
A level 2 real estate inspection is a thorough inspection of the chimney system performed by a Certified Chimney Sweep. The purpose of a real estate inspection is to assess the basic soundness of the chimney structure and to evaluate the accessible internal and external portions of the chimney and fireplace.
During a real estate inspection, the chimney sweep will look for flue obstructions, flammable buildup, leaks, and other potential issues with the system. They will also check for proper clearances from combustibles in accessible locations.
Unlike routine home inspections, which only check for obvious issues with the chimney and fireplace, real estate inspections go deeper and include a video scan of the entire internal surface of the chimney flue.
Home inspectors are good at what they do. They have enough knowledge about every aspect of the home to be good at knowing what obvious things to look for. But the problem is that a large portion of the chimney system is not visible to the naked eye. And those hidden areas are where a lot of fire risks and performance issues arise.
If you want to be confident that the chimney system in your new home is in good working condition and ready for continued safe use, a simple look at the exterior of the chimney from the ground and a look at the fireplace with a flashlight is not good enough. You need something more exhaustive.
Are you a realtor? Provide additional value to your clients, set them up for success in their new homes, and give them peace of mind by recommending a real estate inspection. The feeling that comes with knowing you saved your clients hundreds or even thousands of dollars on repairs and made their home life safer is as good as it gets!
Fireplaces add warmth - literally and figuratively - to a home, and they have long been prized as a cozy architectural element. Many pragmatic homeowners today, however, are looking to the future of their home and wondering: does a fireplace add value, or scare potential buyers off? And when it comes to buying the home itself, does the home inspection include the chimney? Here's what you need to know.
While a home inspector will check your chimney for visible damage or signs that it needs cleaning, they will not be able to say for certain whether your chimney is in good/workable condition. They will only be able to say that it appears fine from the observation point of the room it's in - which really isn't telling you much.
Chimney inspections are ranked as level 1, 2, or 3. A level 1 inspection is the most basic, while a level 3 inspection is the most thorough. A Level 2 inspection is the most common and will likely be the one required to buy or sell your home.
You can get a chimney inspection before buying a home, but should you? Experts tend to say yes. While it's an additional expense, the cost of skipping this inspection could be exceptionally high if something turns out to be non-functional.
Chimney inspections cost from $300 to $600 on average, and this often includes the cost of cleaning services. Level 1 inspections are the cheapest, while Level 3 inspections are the most expensive - these inspections are typically reserved for cases where the chimney has extensive damage.
At Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration, we perform 3 different types of chimney inspections: NFPA Level 1, NFPA Level 2, and NFPA Level 3. NFPA stands for the National Fire Protection Association, and we conduct regular inspections following NFPA guidelines and procedures. If you are buying or selling a property with a fireplace, a Level 2 chimney inspection is mandatory.
After we complete a Level 2 inspection, Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration will provide you with written reports of our findings and recommendations. People often assume a standard home inspection includes a thorough inspection of the chimney and fireplace. However, not all chimney inspections are performed properly, and you may end up spending money on repairs and rebuilds down the road.
A Level 1 chimney inspection covers just the basics. When transferring property, a more extensive Level 2 real estate inspection is recommended by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. A Level 2 inspection includes close examination of all accessible chimney and fireplace components (meaning there will be no tearing out of walls or dismantling the chimney structure). 041b061a72