Chimney inspections in Bourbonnais: Level 1 annual checks and Level 2 camera inspections
Know what is inside your chimney before you light it, sell the house, or change what you burn. Written report with photos, no guesswork.
Level 1: the yearly look
A Level 1 inspection covers everything we can reach without tools or ladders beyond the basics: the firebox, damper, smoke chamber as far as we can see, the flue from below with a strong light, the visible exterior masonry, the cap and crown from the ground or roof, and the appliance connection. We are checking that the structure is sound, the flue is free of blockages and heavy deposits, and the setup matches what the appliance needs. It takes about half an hour and pairs naturally with a sweep.
Level 2: the camera inspection
A Level 2 inspection includes everything in Level 1 plus a video scan of the full interior of the flue, top to bottom, and access to attics, crawl spaces and basements where the chimney passes through. The camera is the only honest way to see cracked or shifted flue tiles, missing mortar between tiles, gaps at offsets, and the condition of a stainless liner. We record the scan and you get the footage and still images in your report.
Homebuyers in Bourbonnais, Manteno, Momence and the rest of Kankakee County call us for Level 2 inspections more than any other reason. A general home inspector looks at the outside of the chimney and maybe shines a light up the flue. That is not a chimney inspection, and the purchase contract usually gives you a window to get a real one done. We fit these in quickly, often within two days, because the clock is running on your contingency.
Level 3
A Level 3 inspection involves removing parts of the chimney or building to get at a hidden problem. It is rare and only follows a Level 2 that found something serious. If we ever recommend one, you will already know exactly why.
What the report contains
- Photos of the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, flue interior (Level 2), crown, cap and exterior masonry.
- A plain-English condition note for each component: fine, watch, or fix.
- Creosote stage and whether a sweep is due.
- Any code or clearance issues we can see, referenced to NFPA 211.
- A written recommendation with the repair options and the order we would do them in, priced separately so you can decide.
What we look for that others skip
Twenty-nine years in this trade teaches you where problems hide. The smoke chamber in an older masonry fireplace is usually corbeled brick with rough, open joints; if it was never parged smooth it holds creosote and leaks heat into the framing. Flue tiles crack at the offsets where the chimney jogs around a beam. Prefab flues separate at the joints when the chase settles. A crown that looks fine from the driveway is often cracked through where it meets the flue tile, letting water straight into the chimney. We check all of it, and we photograph what we find so the record stands on its own.
Wrong fuel type: what the flue tells us about what was burned
An inspection often reveals what a chimney has been fed. Softwoods such as pine and spruce burn fast and cool and leave a sticky, resinous creosote. Construction scraps and pallets leave the same, plus a chemical odor if the wood was treated. Painted or pressure-treated lumber coats the flue with toxic residue that we will not brush without respirators. Coal in a flue built for wood leaves a hard sulfurous crust that eats mortar. Charcoal briquettes and manufactured logs burned in quantity leave a dense ash that packs the smoke shelf. Each one shows up in the camera footage and tells us why the fireplace has been smoking, smoldering and giving off little heat.
The fuel also decides whether the flue can safely handle the appliance. A fireplace flue sized for wood cannot vent a gas log set without the damper being clamped open and the chimney inspected for condensation damage, and a gas-rated vent must never see wood. When we find mismatched fuel and flue during a Level 2 inspection, that finding goes in the report ahead of any cosmetic item, because it is the one most likely to cause a fire.
After a chimney fire
If you had a loud roaring in the flue, saw flames or dense smoke from the top, or found puffy, expanded creosote in the firebox, treat it as a chimney fire and do not use the fireplace until it is inspected. A chimney fire can crack liners and open joints without any sign from the living room. A Level 2 inspection documents the damage for your insurance claim and tells you whether the flue can be used again.
Inspection pricing, including the sweep-plus-Level-1 combination, is listed on our pricing page. If the inspection leads to a repair you have us do, we credit the inspection toward the work.
Had a chimney fire? Do not relight until it is inspected
A chimney fire, even a quiet one that only popped and crackled for a few minutes, routinely cracks flue tiles and opens mortar joints in ways you cannot see from the firebox. The danger is the next fire, which can push flame through those new cracks into the framing around the chimney.
Signs you had one: a roaring or rumbling you heard earlier, puffy and expanded creosote in the firebox afterward, a scorched smell, or flakes of burnt creosote on the roof or lawn.
What to do: keep the fireplace off and book a Level 2 camera inspection. We document every cracked tile and buckled liner with photographs written up for your insurance, then tell you exactly what has to be repaired or relined before the chimney is safe to use.
Questions we hear about this
Do I need a Level 2 inspection when buying a house in Kankakee County?
NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 inspection on any sale or transfer of the property. Most buyers do it during the inspection contingency. It protects you from inheriting a cracked liner that costs thousands to fix.
How long does a camera inspection take?
About an hour for a single flue, longer for a chimney with two or three flues or a long offset. We schedule the time so we can run the camera slowly enough to actually see the joints.
Will I get the video?
Yes. Still images go in the report and we can share the full recording on request. If a seller disputes a finding, the footage settles it.
Can you inspect a chimney in winter?
Yes. We inspect year-round. The only limit is an icy roof for the exterior part, and we can often do that portion from the ground with a zoom lens or return when it thaws.
What is the difference between your inspection and a home inspector’s?
A home inspector notes the chimney exists and looks at the outside. A chimney inspection checks the interior flue, the smoke chamber, the appliance connection and the crown against the NFPA 211 standard, with photos. The two are not the same document.
Does an inspection include cleaning?
No, but we usually do both in one visit. If the flue is dirty enough that the camera cannot see the tile, a sweep has to come first anyway.
My fireplace has never had a problem. Do I still need an annual inspection?
Yes. Most chimney failures build slowly and silently: a crown crack, a shifted tile, a rusting damper. The annual look is how you catch them while they are inexpensive.
Do you inspect gas fireplace vents and furnace flues?
Yes. Gas appliances vent through a chimney or metal flue that corrodes from the inside out. A Level 2 scan of a masonry flue serving a gas furnace or water heater is one of the most valuable inspections we do, because a blocked or collapsed flue sends carbon monoxide into the house.
Book a chimney inspection before the next fire
Call and you will talk to a person who can put you on the schedule today.
Call (815) 449-4264