Are you in the market to buy a new home? If you are, you’re probably realizing that buying a new home is stressful. There are is a lot of research to complete and a lot of boxes that need to be checked before you can purchase your new home. One of the most stressful things about buying a new home is the uncertainty of a potential home’s condition. Although a house may look like it’s in good shape, it’s hard to know whether the structural integrity of that house is up to par with your expectations. At Northeastern Masonry and Chimney, we can help alleviate some of the stress associated with buying a new home by providing you with a real estate inspection of your potential home’s chimney and ventilation system.
Real estate inspections
When buying a home, the chimney often gets overlooked. However, if there are problems associated with a chimney that you don’t know about, you could be putting your family at risk and spending a lot of money to fix it. This is why a chimney should be at the top of the list for home inspection. The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 211:Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances requires that a Level 2 inspection be performed on a home’s chimney, fireplace, and ventilation system before any transfer of property. This standard is important because it makes sure that you are buying a home without any ventilation and chimney safety issues.
Level 2 inspections
There are three levels of chimney inspections that get carried out by a chimney sweeps. Level 1 inspections are a basic inspection and level 3 inspections incredibly thorough and only occur if a chimney sweep has to deconstruct part of your chimney. A level 2 inspection falls in between these two inspections. In addition to inspection the outside of the fireplace and chimney, a level 2 inspection requires that a chimney sweep does a visual inspection of the inside of the chimney using a video scanner to look for any cracks in the masonry, creosote buildup, or any other issues of concern. During a level 2 inspection, a chimney sweep will also inspect all accessible parts of your chimney and other ventilation systems including the in basement, attic, and roof.
All level 2 chimney inspections should be completed by a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney sweep. A CSIA certified chimney sweep has been trained and tested on proper inspection and safety techniques and is the only type of chimney sweep that has the knowledge and experience to perform a real estate inspection. At Northeastern Masonry and Chimney, we believe that CSIA certification is extremely important to the safety of our customer and the quality of our work and we will not let our chimney sweeps perform an inspection without being certified.
Gain peace of mind that your new home is going to have a safe and operational chimney and ventilation system. If you’re buying a new home call Northeastern Masonry & Chimney at 518-767-9315 or visit us online to schedule a real estate inspection today!