The short answer
A Woodrow chimney should be inspected once a year, as the NFPA 211 standard calls for, and more thoroughly when you buy or sell a home or change your heating system. BluePeak Chimney Service's certified technicians inspect fireplaces, chimneys and vents in 10309 and 10312 and explain the findings in plain terms.
Most chimney problems in Woodrow homes start out of sight: a cracked flue tile, a liner that no longer fits the furnace venting into it, or a crown that has let water into the masonry for several winters. A chimney inspection finds those problems before they turn into a fire risk, a carbon monoxide risk, or a costly masonry repair. BluePeak Chimney Service inspects fireplaces, chimneys and appliance vents throughout Woodrow (ZIP codes 10309 and 10312), a short drive from our Staten Island office. Our certified technicians explain what they find in plain terms so you can decide what, if anything, needs to happen next.
What a Chimney Inspection Includes
The NFPA 211 standard calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected once a year. Chimney professionals use three levels of inspection, and the right one depends on what has changed in your home. We tell you which level fits before we start.
- Level 1: the routine yearly check when nothing about the system has changed. We look at the accessible parts of the chimney, the firebox, the damper and the connections, and check for creosote buildup, blockages and obvious damage.
- Level 2: required when the system changes, such as a new furnace or boiler, a switch of fuel, or the sale of the home. It goes further than Level 1 and includes a camera inspection of the flue's interior.
- Level 3: used only when a hidden hazard has to be reached by opening part of the chimney or the building. We do not recommend it unless an earlier inspection points to a problem that cannot be evaluated any other way.
Chimneys in Woodrow Homes
Woodrow is mostly detached and semi-detached houses, along with some attached townhouses. Many of these homes have a wood-burning or gas fireplace. Others have a chimney that serves only as the vent for the furnace, boiler or water heater. That second kind is easy to forget because nobody ever lights a fire in it, but it still carries combustion gases out of the house every day of the heating season.
In houses that share walls, we also check how the chimney relates to the neighboring unit and whether the top of the chimney is clear of rooflines and other obstructions. On masonry chimneys, the crown, flashing and mortar joints take a beating from freeze-thaw cycles and wind off the water. We look at all of them, because water damage often shows up outside before it causes trouble in the flue.
When to Schedule an Inspection
For most Woodrow homeowners, late summer or early fall is the best time for a yearly inspection, before the furnace and fireplace are running every day. If you rent out part of a two-family home, keep in mind that New York City's heat season runs from October 1 through May 31. During those months, building owners must keep apartments heated to the city's minimum temperatures, so a venting problem found in January is much harder to deal with than one found in September.
- Once a year, as routine maintenance
- Before you list your home, or right after you buy one
- When you install a new furnace, boiler, water heater or fireplace insert
- After a chimney fire, a lightning strike or a severe storm
- If you notice smoke coming back into the room, strong odors, water stains near the chimney, or debris falling into the firebox
Time for your annual chimney check?
Converting from Oil to Gas
Some Woodrow homes still heat with oil, and owners often switch to gas when an older boiler needs replacing. When a New York City building converts its boiler from oil to gas, the chimney has to be evaluated as part of the work. A new liner is often needed, because gas exhaust produces acidic condensate that can corrode a masonry flue that was fine for oil. We can inspect the chimney before or during the conversion so the venting question is answered early rather than at the end of the project.
What Happens During the Visit
We protect the area around the fireplace or appliance, then inspect the interior and exterior of the chimney. On a Level 2 inspection, we also run a camera through the flue. Afterward, we walk you through what we saw, show you photos of anything that needs attention, and separate urgent safety issues from items that can wait. If the chimney only needs cleaning, we tell you that. If it needs nothing, we tell you that too.
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