Chimney Inspection

Chimney and fireplace inspections are a crucial part of what we do as chimney professionals and should only be done by a certified chimney technician. The NFPA 211, which is the standard for the fireplace industry list 3 levels of inspection as a standard for our industry. 

Level 1 is defined as an inspection of readily accessible portions of the chimney. This basically means a visual inspection of the chimney from ground level and anything that can be seen by the naked eye around the home.

Level 2 is defined as an inspection of any accessible portions of the chimney. This means inspecting the chimney as it passes through the basement, any living areas, and the attic. We would also need to do a rooftop inspection of the chimney. From the fireplace, we would use our video scanning equipment to get a visual of the interior of the chimney chase as well.

Level 3 is an inspection that involves deconstruction of one or more portions of your chimney (i.e. the crow, or an interior wall). These inspections are very uncommon but may be necessary when considering a pricy repair.

At Butler Chimneys you can rest assured that any technician that visits your home has at a minimum been certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) on codes and standards and follows their strict code of ethics. We take training very seriously at Butler Chimneys and our technicians continue to train even after their certification. Our entire company has a training session every Tuesday morning, where we go over a particular subject that pertains to the chimney world. We also use an online training platform specific to our industry, that everyone from our office staff to our production crews is required to continue keep up with on a regular basis.

During the inspection take the time to ask your technician questions, everyone at Butler Chimneys works by the philosophy that there is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to the most dangerous part of your home.