Key Factors to Look For When Buying a House with a Fireplace

6/14/2018

A fireplace is an excellent way of creating a warm and cozy atmosphere and represents a romantic idea of what winter can be. Knowing how to get the fireplace inspected and knowing the type of maintenance it will require when buying a house with a fireplace is critical for owners in order to optimize the functionality of their property.

Fireplaces Call for a Separate Inspection

A general home inspection may offer a brief assessment of the fireplace, but a majority of inspections are not comprehensive enough to analyze the fireplace in a meaningful way. Damage to fireplaces can be hidden and out-of-reach, and thus costly to repair. For this reason, it is crucial to have the fireplace inspected during the escrow period. This is particularly true if:

• The property is located in an earthquake-prone area - Earthquakes can bring significant damage to chimneys, making them dangerous to use.
• The fireplace has been left redundant for a long time - Fireplaces can sustain damage when left inactive, and if the fireplace has not been used in quite some time, the chimney might have deferred maintenance that will need to be dealt with as soon as possible.
• The fireplace is pretty old - Old fireplaces might lack contemporary safety features, such as a chimney liner. Being aware of the fact that the fireplace needs an upgrade beforehand in order to be safe can assist you in negotiating a lower price for the house.

Why Hire a Professional Chimney Cleaning Service?

Get in touch with professional chimney cleaning company who will carry out a thorough inspection of the fireplace and detect any potential problems that might be present. These experts will not only clean the chimney of residual creosote but will but will also alert you regarding any faults or malfunction in the fire of flue box that can be straight up dangerous.

Get in touch with professional chimney cleaning company who will carry out a thorough inspection of the fireplace and detect any potential problems that might be present. These experts will not only clean the chimney of residual creosote but will but will also alert you regarding any faults or malfunction in the fire of flue box that can be straight up dangerous.

• Whether there is a screen cap on the chimney that will help prevent snow or rain from pouring down the chimney and to also prevent birds or other critters from nesting there.
• The condition of the mortar and bricks. It is quite possible that the bricks exposed to weather will need to be reset or the mortar needs to be re-pointed.
• The condition of the flue liner and check if there is any creosote buildup or cracked tiles.
• If your fireplace comprises glass doors, the cleaning service will monitor the gasket material surrounding the opening of the door. Faulty gaskets need to be replaced to make certain correct operation of the fireplace.
• Unleash any broken or damaged brick lining in the firebox. Replacement may not be needed depending on the seriousness of the condition.

A proper chimney cleaning service can save you a ton of time, hassle as well as money in the long run, and keep potential disastrous conditions at bay.