For Floridians, a chimney inspection is likely the last thing on your mind. With warm weather almost year-round, if your home has a chimney it often goes unused. Do to the lack of use, a chimney inspection is likely not on your radar when doing a home inspection in Tampa. Nonetheless, chimneys are an important part of your home and need to be inspected by a professional. When fire safety is involved, you can never be too cautious, especially when buying a home. Tampa home inspections should include your chimney if applicable to your home.
If you have already been using a fireplace and have not experienced any issues, you can request an inspection that is considered a level one. This means the inspector will just be looking at easy-to-access areas using light to visually assess the condition of your chimney. For many Tampa home inspections, this will be appropriate for your home, especially due to the limited use your fireplace is likely getting.
For those fireplaces that have visual damage or have shown problems when being used, your inspector will have to do a more thorough inspection. This will include the same visual overview that was performed with a level one inspection, but will include other areas that a fireplace can impact around your home. The inspector will check areas like your attic, the chimney flue, and look for significant cracks or structural damage to your chimney.
If your chimney inspection is a level three, you will see even more detail in the inspection. The inspector will do all things from levels one and two, but will additional remove and check items like the chimney crown.
Maintaining a clean and safe home means keeping your chimney in good working order. Malfunctioning or damaged chimneys are a huge cause of in-home fires, and something that can be easily prevented. When buying a home, ask the sellers to conduct a chimney inspection so you know your home will be safe. Call Radiant Property Inspections to get your chimney checked out.