What an inspection looks for after an earthquake rattles a Glendale stack
Earthquake Country Alliance advises staying away from brick chimneys during shaking and not using a fireplace with a damaged chimney. It also notes that inadequately braced chimneys are a common problem. An inspection after a noticeable quake is how you find out which side of that line your chimney is on.
The inspector looks for horizontal cracks through the stack near the roofline, a gap opening between the chimney and the house wall, a crown that has shifted, and, inside the flue, tile sections that have slid out of line. Offset tiles are invisible from the roof and from the firebox, which is why this usually calls for a Level 2.
Buying a Glendale hillside house: what a general home inspection misses
A general home inspector usually looks at the chimney from the ground and the firebox. On a house that steps down a slope, the chimney can run two storeys up the downhill wall, and most of it is out of sight from either point.
A chimney-specific Level 2 on a hillside house also looks at the stack where it passes through the lower floor or crawlspace, and at the outlet from the roof. If the seller's disclosure mentions earthquake repairs, ask what was done to the chimney specifically.
Tell us whether this is a purchase, a post-earthquake check or a routine look, and how many fireplaces the house has. Call or send the details, and ask for an estimate for the work.
What an inspection can and cannot tell you
An inspection reports what can be seen at the level chosen. It does not see inside a wall, and a flue full of soot hides cracked tile, so a dirty flue is usually swept first.
It is also not a repair quote in disguise. The point is to decide whether a repair is needed at all, and a clean result is a useful answer.
What sets the cost of a Glendale chimney inspection
The level is the main variable, since a camera run through the full flue is more work than a visual check. The rest depends on the house.
- 1Number of flues and fireplaces, including any gas appliance venting into a masonry chimney.
- 2Roof height and pitch, and whether the outlet can be reached safely on a sloping lot.
- 3Whether the flue has to be swept before the tile can be seen.
- 4Attic and crawlspace access to the hidden sections of the chimney.