Fireplace and Chimney Inspections Moline, IL
When Was The Last Time Your Illinois Fireplace or Chimney Was Inspected By a Professional?
Keep Your Wood Burning Fireplace Safe and Efficient With Annual Inspections
Having your fireplace and chimney inspected at least once per year is considered to be “best practice” not only among fireplace and chimney professionals but also the The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
If your home or building has multiple chimneys than it’s even more important that you have them inspected annually because you are at an increased risk for a failure of some type.
R.A Masonry, LLC is a full service fireplace and chimney specialist serving Moline, IL and the surrounding area. As expert masons who specialize in constructing fireplaces and chimneys we are very thorough with our fireplace and chimney inspections. We can help you troubleshoot and fix complex chimney and fireplace problems that other masonry contractors can't seem to be able to solve for you.
What Are We Looking For During a Chimney Inspection?
Because of the heat, smoke and creosote a chimney and fireplace is exposed to there are numerous things that can go wrong with an improperly maintained chimney or fireplace. We usually start with a visual inspection and go through all of the obvious and fine points of a chimney (often missed by home inspectors).
Chimney Cap and/or Crown – The top of your chimney is likely a chimney crown unless you have a cap installed. If the chimney crown becomes cracked, it needs to be repaired so that moisture doesn’t pentrate behind your brickwork and possibly into your home. Water and excess moisture is your chimneys biggest enemy because when that water freezes during our winter months it expands, causing tiny cracks to become much larger structural problems. This is an area any chimney inspector will spend a good amount of time exploring.
Creosote Build Up - Whenever you burn wood fuel in your fireplace, smoke goes up the chimney and flammable creosote is deposited in the flue lining (inside your chimney). Creosote is a mixture of black or brown tar and soot, which is a very fine carbon powder. Creosote build up in your chimney can cause a dangerous chimney fire and poorly designed/constructed chimneys are usually the first to experience this type of an issue.
Problems With Brickwork - If your brickwork is starting to deteriorate and fail you might notice your chimney leaning, or collapsing, or there might be visible cracks in the brickwork. A thorough inspector will be looking for any fine cracks that would be easy to glance over. These tiny cracks can quickly become much larger, problematic cracks if they aren’t addressed quickly. Tuckpointing is the process that professional brick masons frequently perform on damaged brickwork. The damaged mortar (and sometimes brick too) is removed and replaced with new mortar.
Cracks in The Chimney Flue - The liner in your chimney is subjected to a lot of stress, including heat and creosote deposits. If moisture combines with the creosote, the lining can quickly deteriorate. When a lining is cracked, it will need to be replaced before using the fireplace again or you could risk catching your home on fire. R.A Masonry, LLC can use a camera that will provide us with a very clear look at the liner in your chimney.
If you have a chimney or multiple chimneys on your home or building than R.A Masonry, LLC can provide with a chimney and fireplace expert to go through and document your entire chimney system. If there any repairs required you’ll be notified and will have the peace of mind knowing that we have over 6 years experience in fireplace and chimney construction to the highest industry standards.
If you'd like to schedule your initial consultation or an estimate please call (309) 230-6851 or fill out our online contact form and we'll get right back to you.