Summer best for chimney inspection

The best time of year to schedule a chimney inspection is right now, during the height of summer. Why? Because when the first leaves of autumn begin to fall and homeowners start to fill up the inspector’s voicemail with requests, you won’t have to worry about the state of your fireplace and chimney, which will give you plenty of time to fret over the dozens of other tasks you put off all year. We all procrastinate, but your chimney is a safety issue you shouldn’t neglect.

•If you use your fireplace at all, a once-a-year inspection is very important. You don’t want to light up a nice, romantic fire on a snowy evening only to find that a bird made its nest in the chimney, and now smoke is pouring back into the living room. Or worse, risking a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning due to improper maintenance.

•Creosote — a black, tarry substance created when combustible materials are burned — builds up on the inside of the chimney flue. This substance is highly flammable, and a single spark can ignite it. If enough creosote is built up, it will burn long and extremely hot, severely damage the chimney, and can spread to the rest of the house. It’s not unheard of for a chimney fire to occur without the homeowner realizing it — until a second chimney fire ignites, and the damage caused by the first fire allows the heat and flames to reach the house’s wooden structure.

•A damaged or improperly vented wood burning system (fireplace, stove or pellet stove) can lead to carbon monoxide entering the living areas of the house. This is a potentially deadly situation, so it’s critical to ensure that the system is working in top shape before lighting the first fire of the season.

•The chimney professional will perform a visual inspection of the fireplace, flue and outside of the chimney — anywhere a flashlight can reach. You can perform this inspection as well, looking for built-up creosote, a damaged chimney lining or damage to the visible masonry. If the chimney pro sees something amiss he will do a more thorough inspection, probably feeding a video camera into the flue for a closer look. If cleaning or repairs need to be done, he will recommend it.

•Ask for a written estimate before any repairs begin. In addition, make sure the inspector is a licensed (if required by the municipality, county or state) professional. A certification by the CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) is a very good sign; find certified contractors in your area by visiting its Web site at www.csia.org.