Lindon · Utah County
When a Lindon Chimney Needs Inspecting
The request we get most often here is not really an inspection request. It is somebody who wants to stop hauling wood and put a gas insert into the fireplace they already have. That is a change of use, and it is exactly when a flue should be looked at.
Why swapping fuel is an inspection trigger
A chimney is sized and built for a particular appliance. Change the appliance and you change the volume of exhaust, its temperature and its chemistry, and the flue that suited the old one may be wrong for the new one in either direction. Too large and the gases cool before they reach the top, which on a gas appliance means condensation running back down the inside of the masonry. Too small and it will not vent at all.
That is why a fuel or appliance change calls for a Level 2 inspection rather than a glance. We put a camera the full length of the flue, look at the tile joints, the smoke chamber and any offsets, and establish what liner the new appliance needs before anyone orders anything. Doing it in that order is much cheaper than discovering it afterwards.
The 1950s to 1970s houses
A lot of Lindon's older residential streets date from that era, and the fireplaces in them share some habits. Smoke chambers were often built rough and unparged, which makes them turbulent and grabs deposit. Flue tile from that period is frequently intact but with joints that have opened over sixty-odd years of thermal cycling. And some were built as decorative features rather than working heaters, then pressed into service later when somebody wanted a real fire.
None of that means the chimney is dangerous. It means the answer is not visible from the living room, and a camera is the only honest way to give you one.
Sales, insurance and the written report
If the house is changing hands, get the Level 2 and get it in writing with photographs. It is the document that satisfies a buyer, a seller's disclosure and an insurer, and it prevents a chimney becoming a late renegotiation. If the chimney is sound, our report says so plainly, with no list of suggested extras attached. We would rather write a clean report than manufacture work.
Questions
Inspection in Lindon — common questions
We want to put a gas insert into the old fireplace. What do we need first?
A Level 2 inspection, so we know the condition and the internal dimensions of the flue. Nearly every gas insert needs its own correctly sized liner run to the top, and the flue has to be able to take it. That measurement drives the whole quote.
What is the difference between a Level 1 and a Level 2 in practice?
A Level 1 is a visual check of the readily accessible parts. A Level 2 adds camera footage of the entire flue and a look at accessible attic and crawl space runs. If anything is changing about the appliance, the fuel or the ownership, you want the Level 2.
Can you inspect a fireplace that has been sealed off?
Yes, and it is worth doing before you reopen one. Sealed fireplaces are often closed up for a reason, and the flue behind may have been abandoned, blocked, or left open to the weather for decades.
How long does it take?
Most Level 2 inspections take somewhere around an hour on site for a single flue, plus the write-up. We would rather take the time and give you images than be quick and give you an opinion.
Also in Lindon
Our other services here
Chimney Sweep Chimney Repair Fireplace Repair Installation Gas Fireplace Caps & Dampers Dryer Vents All Lindon services
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