Our Company Blog

Start Your Year Off Right With an Inspection

So you’ve put all of your holiday decorations away. You’re in the thick of winter hibernation but not quite ready for spring cleaning. If you’re a home or business owner with a fireplace, it is worth your safety and investment to schedule an inspection now. Don’t wait until spring for necessary and life-saving maintenance. Chief Chimney Services offers inspections year-round, but if your system hasn’t been inspected in the last year, a winter appointment will keep your home and family safe.

Chimney Inspections for Safety

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that chimney systems that are inspected annually and cleaned regularly are the safest and most efficient. We are in the business of chimney safety and that is why we offer NFPA level 1 and level 2 chimney and fireplace inspections. Your chimney exterior, fireplace or appliance, and interior flue should be inspected annually under the best of circumstances, but there are other reasons to schedule an inspection.

• After a serious storm, earthquake, or tornado. Any situation that can affect the soundness of your chimney system is a reason to schedule an inspection. Even a situation that doesn’t seem to change anything noticeable can create hidden dangers.
• After a fire. Whether you have experienced a flue fire that affected the rest of your house or a fire that went unnoticed, it likely caused damage. An inspection by a professional will catch cracks, gaps, voids, and other damage.
• When a change has been made to the system, including repairs or installations. An inspection must be completed to determine the correct installation and proper chimney function.
• Before the sale or transfer of property. Because a standard home inspection only includes a general overview of the chimney system, a chimney inspection by a certified professional is the only way to properly determine the state of the chimney system.

If your chimney hasn’t been inspected in the last twelve months, since last burn season, or ever, it’s time to schedule the basic level one inspection to determine safety before use. If you’re already using your fireplace this winter without an inspection, every time you light the fire it puts your home and family at risk. Schedule a basic level one inspection today.

Chimney Inspections in Suffolk County

If you reside in or around Suffolk County and need a chimney inspection, you can join the countless homeowners in Long Island who put their trust in Chief Chimney Services year after year. When your system has been used in the same way with no problems, a level one inspection should be scheduled. This basic level one inspection includes a thorough examination of the readily-accessible portions of the chimney and appliance. It determines basic structural soundness, checks for flue obstructions and creosote levels, and evaluates the condition and installation of the entire system. Scheduling your level one inspection annually prevents problems that lead to a level two inspection—requiring more money, more time, and possible repairs.
In the event of a necessary level two inspection, your technician will do everything included in a level one inspection in addition to all accessible parts of the system, inside and outside. Your technicians may need access to basements or attics and will use video equipment to get an up-close look at the interior of the flue.

Safer Homes in Suffolk County

Winter is made dangerous by dangerous chimneys. House fires are at their peak in January, and the majority of these fires are preventable. Don’t put your home or your property at risk by waiting. Start the New Year off on the right foot by ensuring your home is safe and sound with an annual chimney inspection.

Chief Chimney Services is a family-run company that strives to put families first. Chimney safety is so important to us and the families we serve that all of our technicians are CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps. That means that each of us undergoes training and testing outside of our ongoing work with our customers. In fact, we complete and pass a thorough examination over national fire safety codes and chimney science—a certification that we repeat every three years to stay up to date on the best technologies, advancements, and code changes in the industry.

Do you reside in Suffolk County and need an inspection this year? Once your system is inspected, it is good to go until next year. A clean report from your chimney expert will mean a safer fire this winter, less likelihood of winter damage during these months, and prevent chimney leaks and animal intrusions this spring. Don’t put it off any longer. Schedule your chimney inspection today and save money tomorrow.

While you’re making plans to complete chimney maintenance this winter and spring, don’t forget the other service we provide at Chief Chimney Services. Clean up the chimney after a winter of fires with a chimney sweep. Protect the masonry from water penetration by scheduling waterproofing services before the spring. Planning a spring or summer wedding? You can even schedule a lucky chimney sweep to attend!

Not sure exactly what you need? If you have a chimney system, call Chief Chimney Services and we can help.

Is Your Chimney Ready for Burn Season?

Do you know for certain that when you light your fireplace this fall, it will burn safely? Are you sure your family will be safe from carbon monoxide danger and other hazards? If you haven’t had your fireplace and chimney system cleaned or inspected before the burn season, the answer is no. It is unsafe to light a fire in a system that has not been serviced in the last twelve months.

Inspections and Sweeps for Safety

Both the Nation Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) encourage homeowners to schedule routine chimney sweeps and annual chimney inspections to insure the chimney system is at its safest and most efficient possible. These two organizations make it a mission to bring down the frequency of residential fires by preventing them. That’s right—most fires can be prevented, especially those caused by heat appliances like your fireplace and chimney system.

Your Chimney Sweep Explained

Your chimney sweep may be the most important service you schedule for your chimney system this year and every year. The sweep is the time that a professional gets a look at your system, cleaning it from top to bottom. During a standard chimney sweep, your technician will use drop cloths to protect your furniture and flooring and keep the mess contained with a high-powered industrial vacuuming system. We reach the flue interior with rods and brushes to clean away soot and creosote without damaging the liner.

Maintaining a clean fireplace and chimney system will keep the parts working correctly, air flowing optimally, and cut down on future problems and damages. Additionally, when you schedule a standard chimney sweep with Chief Chimney Services, a basic level one inspection is included!

Your Chimney Inspection Explained

For generations, homeowners have simply peered up the chimney flue with a mirror to check for obstructions. This is a fine way to look for obstructions, but it doesn’t check for anything else! The worst things that can happen to your chimney system are hidden from an untrained eye. When you schedule a chimney inspection with a licensed and certified company, such as Chief Chimney Services, you can rest assured that your entire system has been assessed and that any hazards present have been reported.

The average homeowner won’t recognize a hazard or other problem with the system until the signs are obvious—this means serious damage has likely occurred behind the scenes. For instance, you might not notice a chimney leak until there is water dripping down your masonry or a leak in the ceiling when the leak has been damaging your masonry from the inside out! A certified chimney sweep, by comparison, knows exactly where to look when inspecting a chimney. We check the whole system over from top to bottom, paying close attention to common culprits, and even use top-of-the-line video surveillance equipment to get an up-close look of interior parts.

Safe Chimneys in Suffolk County

For homeowners in and around Suffolk County, Long Island, there is no reason to light an unsafe fire this season. The team of CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps (CCS) offers comprehensive chimney care and maintenance to the area year-round. You can schedule a chimney sweep or level one, two, or three inspections before you light your fire this fall and ensure your system is safe and ready to use for the whole burn season.

What to Schedule Before Burn Season

• If your chimney system hasn’t undergone any changes, problems, or storms that resulted in damage, you can get by with a level one inspection. This is a general assessment of all readily accessible portions of the system including the interior and the exterior masonry above the roof.
• If you have changed anything about your fire appliance or chimney system, you need to schedule a level two inspection. This level of inspection is also necessary when the home has experienced significant seismic activity, fire, or tropical storms and tornados and before the sale or transfer of property.
• A level three inspection is only recommended when a hazard is suspected during a lesser level inspection and will likely result in a repair. You won’t schedule this level of inspection unless your chimney sweep recommends it, but if they do, it is vital that it’s completed and repairs are made BEFORE lighting a fire in the fireplace, insert, or stove.
• If you didn’t schedule a chimney sweep after the last burn season, it is a good idea to have it done before burning fire this fall. A chimney sweep will clear away in debris left behind from last winter, will check for obstructions and animals, identify damage and hazards, and cut down on odors and inefficiencies.

When you’re ready to schedule services for your fire appliance or chimney system, look no further than your friends at Chief Chimney Services. Call or make an appointment online today.