Springville · Utah County
What an Inspection Finds in a Springville Chimney
Springville has a lot of houses that have been lived in continuously for a very long time, and the chimneys in them tend to carry the marks of every decision made since they were built.
An old chimney in this town is rarely one thing. It might have started as a coal flue, been converted to gas at some point, had the gas appliance pulled out again, then had a wood-burning insert dropped into the firebox in a later decade. Each of those changes was reasonable on its own day. Stacked on top of each other without a full look at the flue, they produce a chimney that is not really sized or lined for whatever is currently sitting in it.
What the camera is for
A Level 2 inspection puts a camera through the entire flue, top to bottom. That is the only honest way to answer the questions that matter: are the liner tiles intact, have the joints between them opened, is there an abandoned connector opening from a removed appliance, is the liner even the right diameter for what is now burning into it. An oversized flue on a small modern appliance is a real defect, because the exhaust cools before it reaches the top and condenses on the way.
When to order which level
- Level 1 for a chimney that has been used and swept every year, with no change of appliance and nothing unusual having happened.
- Level 2 whenever a property is being sold or bought, whenever an appliance is being added, removed or swapped, and after any chimney fire, significant earthquake or major weather event.
- Level 3 is destructive and rare. It means opening up part of the structure, and we would only propose it when a Level 2 has found something we cannot otherwise resolve.
The bench houses
Homes on the higher eastern streets often have tall masonry stacks on the outside of the building, which look impressive and behave badly. An exterior stack loses heat to outside air on three sides, so the flue inside it starts cold and stays cooler. We check those particularly for condensation staining and deteriorated mortar in the upper third, which is where the exhaust has cooled enough to give up its moisture.
What you get
A written report with photographs, plain descriptions and a clear split between what is urgent, what should be scheduled, and what is simply worth knowing about. No verbal-only findings.
Questions
Inspection in Springville — common questions
We are buying an older home in Springville. Is an inspection worth the money?
On an older chimney, yes. Repairs to a failed liner or an unstable stack run into real money, and it is far better to know before closing than after. It is also the point at which the seller can reasonably be asked to address it.
There is a wood stove insert in the fireplace and nobody knows if it was installed properly. Can you tell?
Usually. The question is whether it has a continuous liner running from the appliance to the top of the chimney or whether it is simply vented into the open masonry flue. The second arrangement is common in older installations and it is one of the more frequent problems we find.
Does an inspection include a sweep?
They are separate, though we often do both in one visit because a heavily sooted flue cannot be properly inspected until it is clean. If the chimney needs sweeping to see anything, we will tell you before starting.
My insurance company is asking for documentation. Will your report do?
It should. The report is written, dated, photographed and describes the condition of the specific components. If your insurer has asked for a particular scope, tell us up front so we make sure it is covered.
Also in Springville
Our other services here
Chimney Sweep Chimney Repair Fireplace Repair Installation Gas Fireplace Caps & Dampers Dryer Vents All Springville services
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