St. Louis Real Estate - Building Inspections - Fireplace

FIREPLACE INSPECTIONS by Harry Morrell, Allied Building Inspections

Cooler weather is nearing and home buyers will want to be sure that the fireplace and all its components are intact and operating properly. Fireplaces and their components are a big part of real estate transaction inspections and should be included in your inspection report when buying your home. An ASHI inspector is qualified to deliver a comprehensive report and inspection on the fireplace components. If the inspector observes red flags and safety concerns, a qualified chimney sweep will be recommended to perform any repairs, replacements, or service needed for safe and proper fireplace operations. A chimney sweep is qualified to perform a level three fireplace inspection, which is above and beyond what is needed for a real estate transaction inspection. The sweep is the best person to go to for repairs and improvements for any fireplace issue or concern.

There are two types of chimneys. One for the venting of gas fired appliances, and the other for fireplaces. This article only concerns information for fireplace components.

The fireplace inspection is focused on safety issues as well as structural integrity of the fireplace and chimney chase. Masonry chimneys shall be constructed on foundations of solid masonry or concrete at least 12 inches thick and at least 6 inches beyond each side of the exterior dimensions of the chimney. Footings should be installed below the earth frost line. Chimneys should be structurally sound, durable, smoke tight, and capable of conveying flue gases to the exterior safely. Clearances from combustibles is important and is something the inspector looks for. A two-inch clearance is required on a fireplace chimney in both interior and exterior installation. Chimneys are required to be lined with clay tile or approved metal liners. The inspector may not be able to totally view all flues from top to bottom. If there is any concern or blockage noted, a qualified chimney sweep should be recommended to service the unit before use. The actual brick chimney chase structure should be carefully inspected for cracks, displacement, deterioration, and leaning. Inspectors should be sure the structure is completely intact and sound, falling bricks can cause serious injuries.

The interior fireplace itself will be inspected for structural integrity, clearances from combustibles, and free of significant creosote build up. Creosote build up can result in devastating fires that are almost impossible to put out. Your inspector should raise a red flag and caution the buyer not to operate the fireplace until it is cleaned and serviced. Lighting and operating the fireplace is usually never done for real estate transaction inspections.

Wood burning stoves and fireplace inserts are popular and can certainly add warmth to a house as well as a pleasing decorative feature. However, most of these type units are added on to homes after the house was built and may have had amateurish installations. The unit itself may not be UL rated which raises additional safety concerns. The inspector should thoroughly inspect these appliances and recommend a qualified chimney sweep to make all necessary improvements and repairs for safe and affective service.

Harry O. Morrell
Allied Building Inspections, LLC
Certified ASHI Inspector

Harry can be contacted at HarryMorrell@stlouisrealestatevoice.com

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 3:49 pm and is filed under Building Inspection News, First Time Home Buyer, For Buyers, For Sellers, Relocation Buyer, Unrepresented Seller(FSBO). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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