Chimney questions, answered honestly

A standard sweep with a camera inspection for a single open fireplace sits in the normal Bergen County range; the honest answer is that we quote after we see the setup, because a straight open fireplace and a wood insert with an offset flue are very different jobs. What we will commit to is quoting before we start, and not changing that number afterwards.

Yes, and this catches people out. An unused chimney still takes weather, still houses birds and squirrels, and still lets water into the structure. Some of the worst masonry damage we see is on chimneys nobody has lit in fifteen years. If it is truly decommissioned, a proper cap and crown seal is the low-cost answer.

Very much so. When a high-efficiency appliance is vented into an old masonry flue, the exhaust runs cooler and condenses inside the chimney. That moisture is acidic and it eats clay tile and mortar from the inside. If your boiler was swapped without the flue being relined or re-vented, that is worth checking.

Yes, and quickly. Level 2 is the standard for a property transfer: camera scan of the full flue, accessible areas of the chimney examined, written report with images. Attorneys and inspectors accept it, and we can usually turn it around within the week.

Efflorescence — mineral salts carried out of the masonry by water moving through it. It is not itself dangerous, but it is a reliable sign that your chimney is holding water it should not be. It usually points to a failed crown, a missing cap, or masonry that needs waterproofing.

Yes. Fully insured, and we will send the certificate before the appointment if you want it on file. We work to NFPA 211 and our sweeps are CSIA-trained.