Chimney Inspections & Interior Video Scans in West Hartford

Our specialized cameras see what the naked eye can't — hidden flue cracks, creosote glaze, and liner damage. We perform Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 inspections, including the Level 2 video scans required during home sales and after chimney events.

Why Video Scans Change Everything

A visual inspection from the firebox and rooftop tells you about 60% of what’s going on in your chimney. The other 40% — hairline liner cracks, glazed creosote high in the flue, missing mortar between tiles, animal damage in the smoke chamber — is only visible from inside the flue.

That’s what a Level 2 video scan is for. We lower a specialized camera down the entire flue and record it. You watch what we see, in real time. Everything gets documented in your report.

The Three Inspection Levels (Per NFPA 211)

Level 1 — Basic visual. Included with every routine sweep. We check accessible parts of the chimney and confirm continued safe use for the same appliance.

Level 2 — Video scan. Required when:

• You’re buying or selling a home
• There has been a chimney fire or a lightning strike
• You’re changing the appliance served by the chimney (oil to gas, adding an insert, etc.)
• A Level 1 finds something that needs a closer look

Level 3 — Full diagnostic. Rare. May require removing parts of the chimney (crown, cap, wall access) to reach hidden problems. Only recommended when Level 1 or 2 findings require it.

Real-Estate Ready Reports

We do a lot of pre-sale inspections across central Connecticut. Every real-estate inspection comes with:

• Written report with pass/fail on each Level 2 checkpoint
• Photo documentation of any findings
• Video-scan recording available to the buyer’s inspector
• Recommendations clearly labeled “urgent,” “recommended,” or “optional”
• Same-week turnaround so you don’t hold up the closing

What We Look For

• Structural condition of the chimney (leaning, spalling, missing mortar)
• Flue liner condition — cracks, gaps, corrosion, glazed creosote
• Cap and crown condition and leak-source diagnosis
• Flashing at the roofline
• Firebox and smoke chamber cracks and refractory damage
• Clearances to combustibles for wood-burning appliances
• Draft and appliance connection integrity
• Signs of a chimney fire (puffy creosote, warped damper, discolored liner)

When to Schedule

• Annually — every chimney used with any appliance, per NFPA 211
• Before you close on a home — as part of the real-estate inspection process
• After any chimney event — fire, storm, lightning, or notable draft change
• Before switching appliances — oil to gas conversion, adding an insert
• When something feels off — new smell, smoke back-up, cold-air draft you didn’t have before