- Service
Austin Chimney Inspection
Austin Annual Certified Fireplace & Chimney Inspection
Always Schedule Before the Start of Each Burning Season!
Your annual chimney and fireplace inspection in your Austin area home is one of the smartest things you can do to ensure your system continues to operate efficiently and safely. For many years, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has strongly encouraged this practice, as will any reputable chimney professional.
If you need to schedule your annual chimney inspection, the experienced team at Wolfman is always here to help. Take time to book your inspection by giving us a call or reaching out to us online.
"Our core belief is that true success comes from a balance of humility and confidence. We approach every challenge with the assurance of our skills while remaining open to learning and growth, ensuring we serve our clients with integrity and respect."
"Our core belief is that growth is essential for survival. We continuously innovate, adapt, and strive for improvement, believing that standing still means falling behind in a fast-changing world."
"Our core belief is always to help first. By prioritizing the needs of our clients and community, we build trust and long-lasting relationships, knowing that genuine service creates lasting value for everyone."
"Our core belief is always to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. Integrity guides our actions, and we are committed to making choices that reflect honesty, fairness, and responsibility in every aspect of our business."
Why Are Chimney Inspections Important?
It’s not just Wolfman’s personal and professional recommendation; your annual chimney and fireplace inspection is also recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 211. If you’ve recently moved into a new home and a level 2 inspection wasn’t performed, you’ll want one to ensure everything works properly.
A chimney inspection allows your chimney professional to find and eliminate issues in your system prior to putting it into use for the season. Clogs, creosote buildup, cracks, gaps, deterioration, or damage can all leave your fireplace unfit for use, putting your home and loved ones at risk.
A fireplace is the heart of your home, and you want it to work well. It needs to deliver sufficient light, heat, and coziness to your family. If this isn’t happening, you need a chimney professional to ensure it’s in proper working order and to maintain your home’s value. A regularly-inspected fireplace is a huge selling point if you move in the future.
A chimney inspection is very affordable and helps prevent expensive, messy repairs later. Small issues can be repaired easily, but left alone, can lead to serious damage to your system. Making time for an annual chimney and fireplace inspection of your Austin area home is a great way to help keep your home and family safe.
3 Levels of Professional Chimney Inspections at Wolfman
Each fireplace and chimney system is unique, requiring different levels of care. A system that is maintained regularly without recent changes won’t need as thorough an inspection as one that’s been neglected or had damage such as a chimney fire. Which level do you need?
A Level 1 Chimney Inspection
This inspection is the most basic, intended to check if there are any blockages, excessive creosote, or damage inside your chimney, called the flue. We’ll check these items:
- identify possible issues (blockages, creosote, damages, etc.)
- ensure all chimney parts work properly
- inspect both the inside and outside of the chimney
- examine all exposed, readily accessible areas of your system
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection
This is a more exhaustive review, covering more than a Level 1 inspection, and is the standard when a home is being sold, after major system renovations, after a natural disaster, or it’s been over a year since an inspection. You’ll get everything in level 1 plus:
- internal cameras used to examine inaccessible areas of the flue
- remove doors, panels, or coverings for an accurate assessment of condition
- ensure proper clearances are adhered to and in place
A Level 3 Chimney Inspection
Level 3 inspections are much rarer, and are only completed when there are issues beyond the usual wear and tear putting your home in danger. They’re also the most comprehensive and in-depth, requiring removing or disassembling chimney pieces, or pieces of your home’s walls in order to find the root of the issue. We always consult with you before starting this type of inspection and will give you details of why we feel this level of inspection is necessary.
What if I Forget Annual Chimney Inspections?
There are many issues that can arise when annual chimney inspections are forgotten or ignored:
- creosote buildup
- increased risk of chimney fires
- smoke backup into your home
- increased carbon monoxide poisoning risk
- damaged or cracked masonry work
- failing mortar joints
- animal pests in your chimney
- debris buildup
- clogs and blockages leading to poor airflow
- fire hazards
Your annual chimney and fireplace inspection is vital to your system’s, home’s, and family’s health.
Can Annual Chimney Inspections Save Me Money?
Because chimney inspections allow us to catch issues early, they keep your system operating more efficiently. This results in more heat in your living space, less energy going to utilities, and more money kept in your wallet. Chimney inspections help you in multiple ways, such as:
Your chimney cap is damaged.
When we notice your damaged chimney cap, we can replace it very quickly with an affordable, quality model. If we don’t come out, you’ll have water damage to your chimney liner, metal components, masonry, and more, requiring brick replacement, relining, tuckpointing, new parts, and more.
We spot creosote buildup.
When there’s creosote buildup, a chimney sweep takes care of the problem. If the inspection doesn’t happen, you can have a chimney fire, which can cause damage to your system and potentially damage your home as well.
We see cracks in your masonry.
As masonry repair professionals, we’re able to quickly handle minor issues caught early in your masonry work. But if missed due to no inspection, these repairs get more costly and labor-intensive.
Issues that put your household at risk.
Lighting a fire in your home needs to happen in a safe fireplace. If we spot anything in the inspection that creates risk, we’ll talk to you about it and set up repairs. If we don’t have a chance to inspect, you risk not only chimney damage, but home damage as well as burns, illness from smoke exposure, or deadly carbon monoxide exposure to your loved ones. It’s not worth saving a few bucks on an annual inspection.
Do Austin Chimney Inspections Prevent House Fires?
Chimney professionals are trained and certified to locate flaws in your system, including fire hazards. We watch for creosote buildup, which forms during combustion, and recommend it be removed before it reaches a dangerous level to avoid chimney fires. Chimney fires can damage your flue, the inside of your chimney, making your home more vulnerable to heat and fumes, causing a house fire.
Chimney fires are almost silent, so it’s easy to put your fireplace into use when it isn’t safe. Chimney professionals can spot and remove creosote, as well as spot signs that a chimney fire has happened. Chimney damage puts your loved ones at risk, so booking an annual inspection is a low cost for a high return of increased safety. At Wolfman, we only hire the best sweeps, so you’ll always get exceptional service.
Do Chimney Inspections Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Today’s homes are tightly sealed to improve energy efficiency, making indoor air quality a big concern. By having regular chimney inspections, you’re ensuring that your system will vent safely and effectively. This process keeps smoke and poisonous, deadly carbon monoxide leaving your home efficiently. It also ensures that downdrafts can’t bring unwanted fumes and bad scents into your home.
Can I Do My Own Chimney Inspection?
Though it’s very important to know your system so that you know when something is wrong, you should only have a trained professional handle your inspection. Without extensive training, you wouldn’t know what to look for and could miss dangerous hazards. At Wolfman, our CSIA-certified chimney professionals complete an exhaustive training and certification process.
Our Austin chimney inspection team also has many years of experience, allowing us to spot issues that even other professionals in the trade may miss. Wouldn’t you rather trust someone with extensive education, experience, and hands-on training with the safety and health of your chimney, home, and loved ones?
I Rarely Use My Fireplace, Do I Really Need an Annual Inspection?
It doesn’t matter if you rarely use your system, it still needs an annual inspection. There are things beyond fires that can cause wear and tear on your system, so an annual inspection protects your investment. But what do we find in unused flues?
- Animals living in it
- Buildup of outside debris
- Creosote buildup
- Cracked, crumbling masonry
- Water-related damages
- Damages from extreme winds/weather
When Should I Book My Chimney or Fireplace Inspection?
Most people think of this maintenance task in the fall, but that’s when chimney services are busiest. Book earlier in the year to ensure that we can get to you on your schedule and have time to address any needed repairs. This allows you to use your fireplace as soon as the heating season starts. This makes spring or summer best for this type of home maintenance task.
What Should I Do for Fireplace Safety?
Beyond your annual chimney inspection, which allows us to ensure everything is operating properly, here are some tips we recommend:
- Keep a 5 lb. ABC fire extinguisher easily accessible.
- Keep a 3’ clearance around your fireplace, including furniture or curtains.
- Don’t burn anything but well-seasoned hardwood.
- Don’t leave a fireplace burning unattended.
- Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors throughout your home.
- Book annual inspections with a CSIA-certified chimney professional.
- Get your chimney cleaned regularly.
- Have chimney and fireplace repairs handled swiftly.
- Don’t use your fireplace if creosote buildup or damage is present.
- Use glass doors or screens to keep sparks and embers enclosed.
- Don’t use kerosene, gas, or other flammable liquids to start a fire.
- Educate children about fireplace safety and keep them away.
Call Us Today – We’d Love to Chat!
At Wolfman, we take pride in bringing Austin area homeowners the highest possible care. Our experienced, friendly team prides itself in offering personalized professional care for our clients. We’ll catch your chimney issues before they become big problems, including both your outside structure and inside flue. Call us today at 512-866-9917 or book your service online now!
Wolfman Chimney & Fireplace is proud to provide the absolute best chimney & fireplace inspections and repairs throughout our service area.