Just found out my old way of checking for cracks could have cost me big

For years, I just used a basic flashlight and looked up the flue from the fireplace. I thought if I didn't see a big gap, we were good. That changed last fall after a job in Tacoma. The homeowner called back a month later saying they had smoke in a bedroom wall. Turned out there was a hairline crack in the clay liner, way up near the top, that my old light just didn't catch. I had to eat the cost of the full repair, about $1200, to make it right. Now I won't do an inspection without my rotary camera system. It cost me a lot upfront, but seeing that full 360 view is a game changer. I spot issues I would have missed 100% before. What's your go-to method for a solid liner check, especially in older brick chimneys?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan4133mo ago

That "full 360 view" you mentioned is exactly why I switched too. I had a close call with an old flue where the mortar was just gone between tiles, but it was only on the back side. My old mirror-on-a-stick method showed me nothing but a clean front wall. Bought a used push camera system off a guy getting out of the business, and it paid for itself on the second job. The peace of mind is worth the cost, don't you find it hard to go back to the old way once you've seen the whole picture?

mary_ross3mo agoMost Upvoted

Actually, a full circle view is 360 degrees, not 180.

finley_flores282mo ago

Yeah, exactly, a full circle is 360. I think Dylan was just using the phrase "full 360 view" to mean seeing everything, like a full picture. It's easy to mix up the terms. I've heard people say "180" when they mean a total change in opinion, too. The main point is seeing the whole flue, not just half.