Are you the proud owner of an older home? Your property might be full of character and charm, including that cozy fireplace, but it can be tricky to know if your home is up to code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of having to fork out for potentially rather costly renovations may not exactly sound like music to your ears, but it\u2019s important to remember that the chimney codes laid out by the National Fire Protection Association are in place with the sole purpose of saving both lives and properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a certified chimney technician carries out a level 2 inspection \u2014 the most thorough possible inspection without taking permanent structures within your property apart \u2014 they will take a detailed look at all accessible portions of your chimney, including attics and basements where possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019ll use specialized video scanning equipment to check whether your chimney is safe, functional, and up to code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s take a look at some of the things a chimney technician will look out for, and that you might also be able to begin to assess for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chimney technicians will look for signs of major cracks, leaning, water damage, and crumbling. These more obvious indications of trouble show that you are likely to require extensive work on your chimney. If you are considering purchasing a new home, you can look out for this before the home inspector even enters the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chimneys should, on the outside of the property, tower at least two feet above any other structure on the roof \u2014 if it is too short, the chimney can itself create a significant fire hazard. Chimney technicians can make impressively accurate estimations while on the ground, but to be sure, they will get on the roof and measure your chimney height. While there, they\u2019ll additionally check the accessible structures, like the seal and crown, out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A chimney flue is a purposely-designed opening within your chimney that allows exhaust gases and fumes to safely escape your home, keeping you safe from hazards such as carbon monoxide poisoning. In modern homes, chimneys are built with flue liners, which protect your home from heat as well as corrosion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These flue liners periodically need to be replaced \u2014 and knowing whether it\u2019s time is one great reason to have an annual chimney inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Older homes, however, may not have flue liners at all, and that means they are not up to build code. In these cases, a flue liner will have to be installed to ensure that you comply with modern standards. Flue liners that have suffered extensive damage over time will, likewise, need to be replaced to comply with building code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only does creosote \u2014 essentially, leftovers from the combustion process that build up every time you use your fireplace \u2014 gradually build up within your chimney, it is even possible for bricks to come loose and cause blockages within your chimney. A chimney technician will look for both these issues when they perform their annual chimney inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While homeowners can certainly take a look at the more outwardly obvious signs of build code violations, the good news is that you do not have to become an expert on the topic of chimneys \u2014 and neither do you have to risk your health by getting on the roof yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By hiring a certified chimney technician, you can quickly and easily find out whether your chimney is up to code. If it isn\u2019t, your chimney tech will also be able to tell you exactly what needs to be done to get your chimney there \u2014 and in turn, you will be able to rest assured that your home and your family are both safe as you enjoy your fireplace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Are you the proud owner of an older home? Your property might be full of character and charm, including that cozy fireplace, but it can be tricky to know if your home is up to code. The idea of having to fork out for potentially rather costly renovations may not exactly sound like music to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chimney-cleaning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4834"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4836,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4834\/revisions\/4836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.astepintimemarylandllc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}