Sometimes during an inspection I come to a dark and uninviting part of the home. It’s usually some tiny crawlspace or attic with no light. But there is one area in many homes that’s usually soot black and often hard to get to, the chimney liner.
I always try to get a look inside the chimney flue, especially when it’s used for the heating system or a wood burning stove. The flue liners can become deteriorated over time from general use and abuse.
I discovered this large hole (top of first photo) on an inspection not long ago. There appeared to be a smaller hole further down and flaking of the terra cotta.
Soot will build up inside that hole and can eventually catch fire. This is even more likely on a chimney with a wood stove. Creosote will get in between the liner and brick through the hole and can not be cleaned out.
The other and more dangerous problem can be a partial flue collapse. If part of the liner falls out and blocks the flue the combustion gases, which contain CO, will have no way out. The result being the smoke vents into the home. Chimney collapses have killed and sickened many people over the years. This is another excellent reason to have CO detectors in your home.
If your home has a chimney that is used to vent the heating or hot water making system, it’s a good idea to have it checked by a professional every few years. If you have a wood burning stove every year or even twice a year if you burn a lot.
Not having your chimney routinely inspected and cleaned could have you staring into the abyss.
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
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