Detailed Inspection & Photo Guide to inspecting for chimney defects in the building interior
Chimney defects discovered in building attics
Signs of holes and unsound masonry chimneys
Significance of creosote or other stains on chimneys
Questions & answers about chimney inspection procedures for indoors - key steps
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This article describes procedures for inspecting the condition of chimneys and flues from inside of a building. We begin in the building attic (or on the building's highest floor) and continue downwards through the building with text and photographs describing chimney damage or chimney hazards for which the building owner, inspector, or service technician should be alert.
These articles on chimneys and chimney safety provide detailed suggestions describing how to perform a thorough visual inspection of chimneys for safety and other defects. Chimney inspection methods and chimney repair methods are also discussed. As with most inspection and safety topics, this material may be incomplete.
Interior basement and attic inspections will reveal corrosion at the
cleanout door, connector problems and flashing leaks.
Inspect exterior the chimney while you are inside the building. Attic access
to a chimney or basement access, may provide key inspection points since there the
chimney is likely to be directly accessible and there may be cleanout or other
access ports to check the condition of the chimney interior.
In this photo the exterior of this chimney, visible in an attic, was in very
poor condition, with soft spalling bricks.
Worse, there was an immediate fire and
gas hazard since there were actual openings at the base of this chimney where
it passes through the attic floor framing. This is a serious fire hazard and
a flue gas leak hazard. This flue is unsafe.
Inspect the entire route of the chimney through all building areas. Even if the
chimney is not directly visible you may find evidence of leaks, movement, or
old chimney penetrations, say for a woodstove, that may not have been safely closed.
Holes in Masonry Chimneys - Missing Bricks
Missing chimney bricks: this photo shows a homeowner "repair" involving
putting aluminum sheet metal over a hole in their chimney to make it "safe" -
removing the metal disclosed a nice hole where bricks were missing. We asked the
homeowner where s/he thought those bricks had gone?
This was a very unsafe chimney.
The second photo shows the chimney hole with the sheet metal removed.
The bricks had fallen down and blocked this flue, creating a potentially fatal carbon monoxide (CO Gas) hazard which was first noticed by the homeowners as a basement water problem - water was condensing and running down basement walls.
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Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
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Thanks to Luke Barnes for suggesting that we add text regarding the hazards of shared chimney flues. USMA - Sept. 2008.
Arlene Puentes, an ASHI member and a licensed home inspector in Kingston, NY, and has served on ASHI national committees as well as HVASHI Chapter President. Ms. Puentes can be contacted at ap@octoberhome.com
Roger Hankey is principal of Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN, technical review by Roger Hankey, prior chairman, Standards Committee, American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI. 952 829-0044 - hankeyandbrown.com
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
Ceramic Roofware, Hans Van Lemmen, Shire Library, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0747805694 - Brick chimneys, chimney-pots and roof and ridge tiles have been a feature of the roofs of a wide range of buildings since the late Middle Ages. In the first instance this ceramic roofware was functional - to make the roof weatherproof and to provide an outlet for smoke - but it could also be very decorative.
The practical and ornamental aspects of ceramic roofware can still be seen throughout Britain, particularly on buildings of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Not only do these often have ornate chimneys and roof tiles but they may also feature ornamental sculptures or highly decorative gable ends. This book charts the history of ceramic roofware from the Middle Ages to the present day, highlighting both practical and decorative applications, and giving information about manufacturers and on the styles and techniques of production and decoration.
Hans van Lemmen is an established author on the history of tiles and has lectured on the subject in Britain and elsewhere. He is founder member and presently publications editor of the British Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society. Also available at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
Chimney & Stack Inspection Guidelines, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2003 - These guidelines address the inspection of chimneys and stacks. Each guideline assists owners in determining what level of inspection is appropriate to a particular chimney and provides common criteria so that all parties involved have a clear understanding of the scope of the inspection and the end product required. Each chimney or stack is a unique structure, subject to both aggressive operating and natural environments, and degradation over time. Such degradation may be managed via a prudent inspection program followed by maintenance work on any equipment or structure determined to be in need of attention. Sample inspection report specifications, sample field inspection data forms, and an example of a developed plan of a concrete chimney are included in the guidelines. This book provides a valuable guidance tool for chimney and stack inspections and also offers a set of references for these particular inspections.
NFPA 211 - Standards for Chimneys & Fireplaces, NFPA 211: Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, 2006 Edition (older editions and standards are found at the same bookstore)
NFPA 211 - 3-4 - Clearance from Combustible Material
NFPA 54 - 7-1 - Venting of Equipment into chimneys
Brick Institute of America - Flashing Chimneys
Brick Institute of America - Proper Chimney Crowns
Brick Institute of America - Moisture Resistance of Brick
American Gas Association - New Vent Sizing Tables
Chimney Safety Institute of America - Chimney Fires: Causes, Effects, Evaluation
National Chimney Sweep Guild - Yellow Pages of Suppliers
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