by Billy Sweet | Jun 9, 2017 | Chimney Inspection
The chimney system is important for the safety and comfort of your family. Whether it was built with your home, or a later addition, it was built to last. However, it must be properly maintained. The great majority of your chimney system is hidden to the eye of the homeowner. Unfortunately, even the eyes of your certified chimney sweep, unless you schedule an inspection!
Inspections Explained
The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) as well as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend routine maintenance for the safest and most efficient chimney system. This includes regular chimney sweeps and annual inspections. For thoroughness and simplicity, there are three levels of inspection:
- Level One – Scheduled annually when nothing has changed with your system and no problems are indicated. This level includes only readily accessible portions.
- Level Two – Required before the sale or transfer of land, following a natural disaster, or fire. This inspection is a more thorough examination of the entire system, including hidden spaces.
- Level Three – Scheduled if a level one and two inspection indicate a hazard, and usually requires the removal of components (walls, parts of chimney, etc.) to access the hazard.
Billy Sweet Does Video Scans
At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, we document every job. When a homeowner schedules a level two inspection, our technician visibly inspects the readily accessible portions. They get a thorough look at the hidden portions with the use of video surveillance. We use Chim-Scan® technology and Wohler Vis2000-Pro to get the best view possible!
When your inspection is complete, including a full video scan, you’ll be able to view the video while your technician explains his report. You don’t have to guess, and neither do we. The Chim-Scan® system offers the best view possible of the entire chimney system. With it, we can detect:
- Voids
- Cracks
- Weaknesses
- Soot and Creosote Buildup
Following your inspection, you will get a report signed by your CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) for your personal records and legal purposes. In addition, the video footage is available for your needs as well. It’s especially beneficial if your home is on the sales market, offering full disclosure to prospective buyers.
You can schedule your inspection, including a video scan, today. Don’t depend on a mirror and flashlight, because that puts your family and home at great risk of fire, injury, and death. Call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep today at 617-469-4528 or request an appointment online!
by Billy Sweet | Jul 20, 2016 | Chimney Inspection
If your home or property has a chimney it is recommended that you have it cleaned regularly and inspected annually, before and during burning season. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends a chimney inspection annually even if nothing has changed with the chimney. However, if there has been any changes to the 
chimney, it should undergo a level two inspection. A level two inspection requires a video scan. Other reasons to schedule a video scan for your chimney is if you’re suspecting damage or debris. Anything that obstructs the chimney or allows damage to persist in the chimney can put your entire family and home at risk of fire.
Reasons to Schedule Video Surveillance
The chimney is a closed system. The ‘old west’ system of using a mirror to check for obstruction and damage is long gone. Today it’s not only yourself that is invested in your property. Your real estate agent, insurance adjuster, and mortgage lender all want to know that your chimney is sound. Video surveillance is the best way to get a detailed report on the condition of your chimney.
There are other reasons to schedule a video scan for your chimney. For instance, if you notice a problem with your chimney, suspect damage, or blockage, it’s a good time to have it done. A video scan can detect:
- Debris
- It can be caused from animals nesting, or leaves and twigs falls into the chimney from the top. Either way, debris can cause blockage, as well as fire hazard.
- Creosote.
- A natural byproduct of organic fire, creosote attaches to the walls of the chimney flue. If left unchecked and if regular chimney sweeps are neglected, this creosote can persist and buildup, resulting in glazed creosote [http://www.csia.org/about-csia/faq.aspx#6]. Glazed creosote is an extreme fire hazard, as it not only slows the venting process, but is highly flammable.
- Damage.
- Even a hairline crack in a chimney flue can let moisture in, wreaking havoc on your chimney system. Cracks like this cannot be seen with the naked eye, and are best detected with a video scan.
Call a Professional Today
A chimney sweep company that offers chimney inspection should also offer video scans. Billy Sweet doesn’t only offer video scans, but we use the best technology for the job. Our CSIA certified chimney sweeps use the Chim-Scan camera system and the Kohler Vis2000-Pro to properly inspect your chimney. Our sweeps are experienced in using this equipment to locate leaks, voids, and other problems with your chimney, as well as to verify the chimney is clean and ready to work following a cleaning or repair.
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweeps not only uses video surveillance to check on your chimney during an inspection, but also to check our work. You won’t have to wonder if the job is done correctly, because we offer our customers a detailed report that is acceptable to officials like real estate and insurance agents.
Don’t leave yourself guessing about your chimney’s safety. Worry less and schedule a chimney scan today.
by Billy Sweet | Aug 25, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance, chimney sweep
Now that summertime is coming to a close and the kids have returned to school, we can enjoy shift into fall. The time of year filled with changing colors, crunchy leaves and pumpkin carving has begun, in addition to the promise of cooler weather. While the first few days of fall might warm up in remembrance of a sizzling summer, the weather will eventually cool off. Before you know it, snow will cover the ground in the midst of a furious New England winter.
Usually, now is when everyone shuts off the central air conditioning and opens the windows to keep everyone comfortable in the house. For many, starting up the fireplace is a passing thought in the back of their mind, but sooner or later the time will come to build that first fire. These same people who fail to remember their fireplaces until high time must battle the busiest season to find a service person who is free to inspect and clean their chimney.
Instead of rushing right before your holiday get-together to have your chimney cleaned, schedule a date for regular maintenance now. Starting in fall, the chimney cleaning services are swamped, and it lasts through the holidays. Many companies book up several weeks in advance at this time, and as the weeks go by and the temperature drops, any snow and ice may make it impossible to get on the roof anyway.
Call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep today to make an appointment to have your chimney swept and inspected. Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep works out of Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and the Portland, Maine area.
This business provides reasonably priced chimney sweeping services in addition to inspections that meet the most up to date codes set by the National Fire Protection Association. Along with each inspection, Billy Sweet offers a courtesy video scanning of the inside of your chimney with Chim-scan products. You receive a comprehensive overview of the condition of your chimney with this closed circuit video inspection, and it aids you in making the right decision on repairs and updates.
You should have your fireplace and chimney inspected once every year, but especially if you recently moved into a new house, your fireplace has been inactive for an extended time or if you have run into any problems with the fireplace. The freeze-thaw cycle of a New England winter and any water leaks into the masonry may result in structural harm to the chimney, which needs to be inspected annually. If a fireplace has lay dormant for some time, such as since it was used last winter, pests like birds may have made a home of the chimney and created an obstructed vent. Lighting a fire in a fireplace with a clogged vent poses serious risks to your house and family.
With summer wrapping up and fireplace time quickly approaching, right now is the best time to make your chimney sweep and inspection appointment with Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep.
by Billy Sweet | Feb 17, 2014 | Chimney Maintenance, Fire Safety
Before your certified chimney sweep comes, it’s good to know the different levels of inspection and what they do in each level.
While it is accurate to say that no two chimneys are the same, it used to also be that no two chimney inspections were the same. This meant that depending on who you hired to do your inspection and subsequent sweeping, the inspection process could be entirely different, with widely varying degrees of thoroughness. Thankfully, in January of 2000, the Chimney Safety Institute of America introduced three levels of chimney inspection and adopted them into code. This means that any chimney sweep who has been certified by the C.S.I.A. (as any sweep should be if he or she is working on your chimney) will conduct one of three levels of inspection according to exacting specifications.
The 3 Levels of Chimney Inspection
The C.S.I.A. has clearly outlined three levels of chimney inspection. Depending on the condition of your chimney and the dangers that exist inside, one of the technicians at Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep will be able to assess which inspection level your chimney warrants. Each inspection utilizes a closed circuit camera to gain a comprehensive look at the flue.
Level 1: The most basic (and most common) inspection looks at all “readily accessible” portions of the inside and outside of the flue, the heating appliance, and its connections.
Level 2: The next level of inspection is recommended when any changes have been made to the heating system. A Level 2 inspection will take a more in-depth look at the chimney and appliance and will include all parts of the chimney made accessible by attics, crawl spaces, and basements.
Level 3: The most comprehensive inspection of all, a Level 3 inspection involves the removal of some components of the chimney or the building to gain full access to the chimney. This inspection is recommended when a Level 2 inspection has indicated that there’s a hidden danger inside your flue.
Read more about chimney inspections here.
Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep is able to serve a wide swath of customers, as we have locations in Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Portland, Maine. Contact us today!
by Billy Sweet | Aug 20, 2013 | Chimney Maintenance
Levels of Chimney Inspections
Everyone that has a wood-burning fireplace knows how wonderful they can be in the cooler fall and winter months but your first actions regarding your fireplace should take place long before you build your first fire of the season. A regular chimney inspection should be performed every year to ensure that your chimney is safe and ready to use. Just as all chimneys are not created equal so to can be said about chimney inspections. In fact there are 3 levels of chimney inspection and all have different qualifications on when they should be performed.
Hire a professionally certified chimney sweep to inspect your chimney each year.
The first and most common type of inspection is a Level 1 inspection. This is the type of inspection that should be performed annually to ensure the safety of your fireplace and chimney. This involves basic examination of all accessible chimney components. This includes both exterior and interior components. While some tools may be required to remove coverings or doors to gain access to certain parts of the chimney there is no work done on the actual structural integrity of the masonry unless obvious flaws are visible prompting your chimney sweep to perform a level 2 chimney inspection.
Level 2 chimney inspections are performed when changes are made to the system or some sort of seismic or weather event may have cause damage to the foundation and structure of the chimney and flue itself. It is also recommended that a level 2 inspection be performed if you have moved into a place with a fireplace. The types of changes that can facilitate the performance of a level 2 inspection include changes in the type of fuel being burned in the fireplace as well as changes to the flue or lining (whether it be materials, positioning, etc.). Level 2 inspections usually involve the use of a video scanning system to inspect the entirety of the interior sections of the flue and chimney. It will also include inspection of the exterior portions of the chimney accessible through the attic and/or crawlspaces. If this turns up additional structural issues a level 3 chimney inspection will be performed.
Level 3 chimney inspections involve an extensive inspection of the entirety of the chimney and flue systems. Removal of part of the chimney structure may be required to properly assess the safety and functionality of the fireplace and chimney and will determine the steps necessary to bring the chimney into compliance with safety codes. This type of inspection is used if some serious hazard exists.
Always remember the old adage “It is always better to be safe than sorry”. Have you chimney inspected regularly to make sure that your system is safe and ready to use and avoid a problem that can cost more than just money.
