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Outdoor Chimney Inspection, from the Ground Level - Leaning Moving Separating Chimneys InspectAPedia®  -     Ground-level chimney inspections: curved, collapsing chimneys Evidence of chimney foundation defects Leaning, separated or cracked chimneys; missing chimney supports Collapsing metal chimneys How to detect chimney movement What causes chimney movement or collapse

This article describes chimney inspection procedures and critical chimney defects which can be observed from outdoors at ground level. We begin with the detection of chimney movement, its causes, its symptoms. These articles continue with other chimney defects that can be found by visual inspection from outdoors at ground level, then from an on-roof inspection, followed by indoor inspections and ending with chimney-flue interior inspections.

After reviewing this "ground level chimney inspection guide" readers should then review Chimney Inspection Outdoors at Rooftop which describes chimney defects which may be difficult or impossible to detect from a ground-level inspection. Readers interested in the outdoor portion of chimney inspections should review   Foundation Support for Masonry Chimneys (below in this article) followed by the next article: Chimney Leaning, Separation, Movement. Also see Chimney Crack & Collapse Risks, Repairs.

This website provides 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.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Chimney Inspection Procedures - Starting Outdoors

Here is a list of some (not all) common chimney defects visible from a more distant view, perhaps at ground level. Later we detail chimney defects that can best be observed from roof-level access. Chimney movement: leaning, settling, bending, breaking, cracks, curving separation from the building, bad footing; Chimney height: too short, inadequate clearance above roof; Chimney height too tall without bracing; See Required Chimney Height Chimney exterior cracked, spalled, loose masonry components (bricks, blocks) or loose, missing mortar Chimney leaks: water leaking into the chimney interior or structure, such as efflorescence, frost cracking, spalling Chimney cap missing, chimney cap not draining; wrong type of cap for flue type or items being vented Chimney crown cracked, damaged, missing, leaking, or not properly sloped to drain off of the chimney top; no drip edge over chimney sides. Some experts including Al Carson call our "crown" the chimney cap. Sketch above showing the basic parts of a masonry chimney is courtesy of Carson Dunlop. Chimney type & usage: chimneys improperly shared among appliances, building rooms or building floors, or chimneys of the wrong type in use.

We describe these and other chimney defects in detail in the following sections of this article.

Chimney Separation from House, Settlement, Leaning, Movement, Cracking

A chimney which has settled and moved away from the building is almost certainly a serious safety hazard risking fire and flue gas leaks into the structure, and it is likely to require costly repairs or complete reconstruction. Details of how to see and evaluate chimney movement and separation are provided here.

Foundation Support for Masonry Chimneys

A summary of the chimney footing problem is just below.

What happens if a chimney footing is missing or inadequate? Masonry chimneys represent a heavy concentrated load on the soil or support structure. Therefore, proper footing support is critical and is generally separated from the building footings except possibly at the exterior wall.

Some masonry chimneys are constructed with an inadequate footing, or no supporting footing whatsoever. Future settlement, movement, tipping, or separation of the chimney from the building is certainly likely in such installations.

Even a casual inspection from outside would raise the question about the absence of a footing for the chimney shown in our photo. You will notice the erosion of soil from below a little concrete skirt around the chimney base of this concrete block chimney. Homes built upon dry-laid stone foundations may have a chimney installed with its base sitting atop the foundation wall itself. Those chimneys might be stable, but be sure to review our warnings about dead end flues that are usually in use where such chimneys were built with no extension very far below ground level. We provide a series of articles on diagnosing chimney cracks and movement include Chimney Movement - Causes, then Chimney Movement - Ongoing vs Static where we discuss determining whether chimney movement is ongoing. Readers diagnosing chimney movement and foundation problems should also see Chimney Leaning, Separation, Movement-Outdoors, and  Chimney Leaning, Separation, Movement. Also see Chimney Crack & Collapse Risks. Repairs for moving chimneys are discussed at Leaning Chimney Repair Methods.

We continue below with an explanation of the causes of chimney movement, followed by a demonstration of how we spot evidence that chimney movement has been ongoing. Other articles in this series outline most other chimney defects that can be found outdoors or indoors on buildings.

At Chimney Movement Causes we explain the common causes of chimney cracking, separation, leaning, tipping, or collapse.

At Chimney Movement - Ongoing vs Static we continue this article with a case reporting evidence of ongoing chimney movement, repeated repairs, and the need to remove and rebuild a large masonry chimney.

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• Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR
CHIMNEY INSPECTION & REPAIR GUIDE
CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR
Chimneys Cleaning Advice, Procedures
Chimney Cleanout Doors
Chimney Crack & Collapse Risks, Repairs
Chimney Draft & Performance
Chimney Inspection Checklist
Chimney Inspection Indoor Procedures
Attic Chimney Inspection
Chimney Inspection Outdoors From Ground
Abandoned Chimneys: Outdoors
Chimney Crack Detection & Diagnosis
Chimney Inspection Outdoors From Ground
  Foundation Support for Masonry Chimneys
  Chimney Leaning, Separation, Movement
  Leaning Chimney Repair Methods
Chimney Movement - Ongoing vs Static
Chimney Footing Defective / Missing
Chimney Height & Clearance
  Chimney Too Short
  Masonry Chimney Roof Clearance
  Adjacent Metal Chimney Separation
  Chimney Height for Types L & Type B Vents
    Table of B-Vent Clearances
  Wood burning Fireplace Roof Clearance
Three-Sided Chimneys: Outdoors
Chimney Inspection Outdoors at Rooftop
Chimney Cap & Crown Inspection
Chimney Types & Materials
Chimney Cleanout Doors
Fire Clearances for Masonry Chimneys
Fire Clearances for Metal Chimneys
Fire Clearances, Single-Wall Metal Flues
Flue Sizing of Chimneys
Fire Stopping Between Floors
Flue Vent Connectors - Boilers, Furnaces
Chimney Inspection: Flue Interiors
Metal Chimneys & Flues
Shared Chimney & Shared Flue Hazards
Fireplace Damage & Unsafe Hearths - Settlement
Moisture Problems Damage Chimneys
Wood Burning Heaters Fireplaces Stoves

• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• 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
• Chimney Building Codes and Chimney, Flue, and Appliance Venting Standards
  • NFPA #211-3.1 1988 - Specific to chimneys, fireplaces, vents and solid fuel burning appliances.
  • NFPA # 54-7.1 1992 - Specific to venting of equipment with fan-assisted combustion systems.
  • GAMA - Gas Appliance Manufacturers' Association has prepared venting tables for Category I draft hood equipped central furnaces as well as fan-assisted combustion system central furnaces.
  • National Fuel Gas Code, an American National Standard, 4th ed. 1988 (newer edition is available) Secretariats, American Gas Association (AGA), 1515 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA22209, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Batterymarch Park, Quincy MA 02269. ANSI Z223.1-1988 - NFPA 54-1988. WARNING: be sure to check clearances and other safety guidelines in the latest edition of these standards.
  • Fire Inspector Guidebook, A Correlation of Fire Safety Requirements Contained in the 1987 BOCA National Codes, (newer edition available), Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), Country Club HIlls, IL 60478 312-799-2300 4th ed. Note: this document is reissued every four years. Be sure to obtain the latest edition.
  • Uniform Mechanical Code - UMC 1991, Sec 913 (a.) Masonry Chimneys, refers to Chapters 23, 29, and 37 of the Building Code.
  • New York 1984 Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, Article 10, Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Requirements
  • New York 1979 Uniform Fire Prevention & Building Code, The "requirement" for 8" of solid masonry OR for use of a flue liner was listed in the One and Two Family Dwelling Code for New York, in 1979, in Chapter 9, Chimneys and Fireplaces, New York 1979 Building and Fire Prevention Code:
• "Top Ten Chimney (and related) Problems Encountered by One Chimney Sweep," Hudson Valley ASHI education seminar, 3 January 2000, contributed by Bob Hansen, ASHI
• Chimney Inspection Checklist, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
• "Rooftop View Turns to Darkness," Martine Costello, Josh Kovner, New Haven Register, 12 May 1992 p. 11: Catherine Murphy was sunning on a building roof when a chimney collapsed; she fell into and was trapped inside the chimney until rescued by emergency workers.
• "Chimneys and Vents," Mark J. Reinmiller, P.E., ASHI Technical Journal, Vol. 1 No. 2 July 1991 p. 34-38.
• "Chimney Inspection Procedures & Codes," Donald V. Cohen was to be published in the first volume of the 1994 ASHI Technical Journal by D. Friedman, then editor/publisher of that publication. The production of the ASHI Technical Journal and future editions was cancelled by ASHI President Patrick Porzio. Some of the content of Mr. Cohen's original submission has been included in this more complete chimney inspection article: InspectAPedia.com/chimneys/Chimney_Inspection.htm. Copies of earlier editions of the ASHI Technical Journal are available from ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• Natural Gas Weekly Update: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngw/ngupdate.asp Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government
• US Energy Administration: Electrical Energy Costs http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelelectric.html

Books & Articles on Chimney Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Books, Complete List of Fireplace & Chimney Design, Inspection, Repair Books at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• 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. Available at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• Chimney Inspection Checklist, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, Ontario
• 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.
• Fireplaces, a Practical Design Guide, Jane Gitlin
• Fireplaces, Friend or Foe, Robert D. Mayo
• NFPA 211 - Standards for Chimneys & Fireplaces, NFPA
• Principles of Home Inspection: Chimneys & Wood Heating (Principles of Home Inspection), Carson Dunlop
• Woodstove & Fireplace Maintenance & Safety, L. L. Helwig

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• NFPA 211 - 3-1.10 - Relining guide for chimneys
• NFPA 211 - 3-2 - Construction of Masonry Chimneys
• NFPA 211 - 3-3 - Termination Height for chimneys
• 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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