The team here at Black Moose Chimney & Stove specializes in chimney inspections, and uses state-of-the-art video scans to ensure the most thorough, accurate evaluation. We’re CSIA-certified and closely follow the NFPA’s guidelines for proper chimney inspections each and every time.
The NFPA and CSIA recommend annual chimney inspections to help prevent house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, leaks, and damage, making them essential for maintaining a safe home.
Why You Need a Chimney Inspection
Chimneys have two critical functions:
1. To channel dangerous smoke and gases away from the fireplace and into the outside air
2. To protect adjacent combustible materials of the home from intense heat that could lead to a fire
Professional chimney inspections are the best way to ensure that your chimney is working efficiently and is in the proper condition to safeguard your home. The chimney inspectors employed by Black Moose Chimney & Stove are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). In addition, we hold memberships with the National Chimney Sweep Guild and the Northeast Association of Chimney & Hearth Professionals.
Level 1, 2 & 3 Certified Chimney Inspectors
Three levels (types) of chimney inspection are sanctioned by the CSIA. Here are brief overviews of each.
This is the basic and most common inspection, the type we recommend once a year as part of attentive fireplace and chimney maintenance. Level 1 chimney inspections cover all visible chimney components and the chimney structure itself including:
Chimney masonry
Chimney cap, flashing and crown
Firebox and damper
Chimney liner and flue
This thorough inspection is designed to uncover small problems before they become large, expensive repair projects.
Level 2 inspections, often referred to as real estate chimney inspections, are more comprehensive than Level 1 and are recommended in specific situations where significant changes or events impact your chimney system. These inspections are essential when:
There’s a change in appliance (e.g., installing a new heating appliance)
You’re switching to a different fuel type (e.g., from wood to gas)
A new flue liner has been installed
There’s been a change in system efficiency or functionality
You’re undergoing a change in property ownership
Your chimney has experienced a fire or major weather event
During a Level 2 inspection, our technicians perform a detailed 66-point assessment and thoroughly clean the entire system. We use advanced video scanning equipment to capture the inside of the flue, which allows us to check the condition of the chimney liner, inspect interior masonry, and identify creosote buildup or other blockages. This approach goes beyond the basics to ensure your chimney is safe and efficient, and we provide a full report with photos so you have a clear understanding of its condition.
If either of the other inspections turns up signs of significant damage to the chimney system, a level 3 inspection is performed. These inspections often involve removing bricks, the chimney crown, or flue pipes in order to determine the exact location and extent of the damage.
Level 3 inspections are extensive but fairly uncommon. They’re almost never required if homeowners maintain an annual schedule of level 1 inspections.
There Is No DIY Chimney Inspection
No matter how familiar you believe you are with your fireplace and chimney, there is no substitute for a certified chimney professional when it comes to inspecting your chimney. Our crew has the tools, equipment, knowledge and hands-on training that is necessary to perform all levels of chimney inspection safely and thoroughly. Chimney inspection is never a job for the novice.
Request Your Inspection Today!
Here at Black Moose Chimney, we perform video scans and inspections with each and every chimney sweeping service. We want you to be as safe as possible and to be in the know if there is an issue with your system.
I can’t say enough good things about Black Moose Chimney including the people in the office. They did excellent work and our chimney project had some complications. All handled professionally and with a sense of humor. I recommend them 100%! Just great, honest, hardworking folks.
They were very polite and knew what they were doing. Took time to make sure they didn’t make a mess even though my home was already a mess. Would recommend every time
Patrick came to our house and did a wonderful job. As someone who has never had a pellet stove before we moved in, he was very knowledgeable and made sure we knew everything we could about our stove before he left. He also gave it a very thorough inspection/cleaning after finding out it hadn’t been used in over two years. We will definitely be future customers for annual cleanings!
Lead person was very friendly and communicative. Kept us informed. Excellent clean-up, both days. Didn’t have enough ‘insulation’, so had to come back to finish, but did so within a very reasonable time-frame. Arrival for final visit was over an hour late and while didn’t have an issue, would have been nice to get a call.
Great customer service by technician Patrick. Very professional, courteous and efficient with his work. He also was very careful to keep things covered and clean while brushing the flue. Highly recommend this company and technician.
They arrived on time, performed the work professionally and cleaned up well. The tech was friendly and respectful, he took the time to answer any questions and showed us the inspection photos for before and after. We’ll continue to use these guys.
Really helped me out can’t say enough good things highly recommend!!!! The young man that came to my home was very knowledgeable and friendly great attitude all around answered all my questions and left me stress free best of all left no mess.🤙🏻🤙🏻
I wanted to give 5 stars but they are very busy which meant I had a good wait for both the inspection/cleaning, then for a quote on repairs and then for the repairs. Their prices seemed a little high to me but I have nothing to compare with as they were highly recommended by someone I trust and other companies had plenty of negatives reviews which kept me from getting additional quotes. I am happy with the work and they promptly returned to fix a mistake that had been made. Chris the inspector, Jennifer in the office, and Alex and his repair crew were all pleasant and took the time to answer all of my questions. Alex and his crew even took their shoes off (it was winter) before entering my house without even being asked! So if you are not in a rush and want to ensure you chimney is as safe as possible then I think you’ll be happy with Black Moose.
After a recent sweep of our chimney, it was discovered that our flue tiles were cracked. Black Moose techs were hard working, detail oriented and professional! Nice jobs guys! See you next year for my cleaning!
Excellent I highly recommend Black Moose Chimney and Stove; Kelly and Liam are awesome, they did a great job. Extremely professional, arrived early, went through everything with a fine tooth comb ensuring pellet stove was thoroughly cleaned. They also were respectful of my home, conscientious and cleaned up after themselves. Made sure stove worked prior to leaving and told me to call promptly if anything came up afterward. Will definitely use them again.
We’ve had Black Moose clean our chimney for a number of years.But recently, we had an emergency situation at our home involving our chimney & oil furnace flue, which was caked full of soot from a malfunctioning furnace. They came & cleaned out both flues in no time, even going up on the roof with snow on it! They cleaned up after their work in the interior rooms where the oil furnace and the woodstove are located. Great work. Reasonable prices. Very nice people. You can’t go wrong with Black Moose.
Goods: The technicians know their business, very efficient in cleaning/inspection along with cleaning up after the ‘dirty work’.Others: Communications could be more effective. Despite early coordination about scope of work (multiple flues within same chimney) the estimate provided did not reflect this and the final invoice was significantly more than the estimate provided.Quote for follow-on chimney relining was significantly more than that offered by other companies in the area (and far more than neighbors experienced for similar work accomplished by other companies)
