Occasionally we receive calls from customers who haven’t had their chimney cleaned or even inspected in many years. A customer called recently who had not used their chimney in 15 years and wanted to start using it again. Before using it she thought having a CSIA certified chimney technician complete a chimney inspection in her Kansas City home was a good idea. Upon inspecting her chimney, Ritchie found some safety and maintenance concerns. Thinking about the safety of our customer first, Ritchie noted that there were several gaps and cracks within the fireplace flue. This is a big safety concern as it can allow exhaust to enter into the home, which can cause harm to those inside.
Many of the maintenance concerns were found on the exterior of the chimney, this is common as the chimney is exposed to many different weather elements throughout the course of a year. On this particular chimney there were several cracks and gasps found at the mortar joints, which can allow water in. There was also a crack found in the crown, this too can allow water to enter into the chimney.
To make this chimney safe for use and protect it from water entry we recommended having the fireplace flue relined, replacing the crown and tuck pointing the chimney. Shortly after the inspection, the home owner had us out to make the repairs. Below you can see before and after pictures of the chimney.