MOLD TESTING AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY TESTING
Our team of experts can test your home or prospective home for mold and determine what’s causing that mold growth. Our inspectors are IAC2 certified and take the time to thoroughly evaluate your home. We start with a complete visual inspection of the home and locate moisture causing concerns. If we find visual mold we can sample it and send it to our lab partners to further analyze. The key to a proper mold evaluation is to find all the factors contributing to mold growth. Indoor air quality is important to living a safe healthy life within your home. We can test your home’s air and our certified lab partners will test for pollen for the following Mold Spores:
- Aureobasidium
- Basidiospores
- Chaetomium
- Fusarium Penicillium/Aspergillus
- Cladosporium
- Stachybotrys
- Trichoderma
- Ulocladium
Level 2 Chimney Inspections
Things To Consider
Having an open-flame wood fire in your living room is serious business.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an estimated 22,300 residential structure fires occurred in homes every year from 2012 to 2014 as a result of a Fireplace, Chimney, or Chimney Connector fire. That’s absolutely crazy. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) has this information published on its website.
We’re serious about chimney safety.
Firehouse Home Inspections offers level 2 chimney inspections as a stand-alone service and as an add-on to our home inspections. Patrick used to do many different home-maintenance services for his prior business before he became a home inspector. One of those services were chimney sweeps and fireplace inspections.
Since we began offering chimney inspections, we’ve become convinced that most wood-burning masonry fireplace chimneys have problems. The problems are so widespread and so serious that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a level 2 chimney inspection anytime there is a sale or transfer of a property.
Level 2 Chimney Inspections
What’s a level 2 chimney inspection?
A level 2 chimney inspection is conducted by running a specialized inspection camera through the interior of the fireplace and chimney to inspect for concealed damage to the flue liner, as well as the inspection of the exterior of the chimney.
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I believe you don’t thouroughly understand the chimney inspection process unless you cleaned multiple chimneys yourself.
– Patrick Wolinski
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Where The Level 2 Inspection Recommendation Comes From
NFPA produces a safety standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances, called NFPA 211. This document is available for free online at the NFPA website; see NFPA 211. Section 15.4.1 (3) is where you’ll find the recommendation for a level 2 inspection.
While NFPA 211 is not “law” or “code”, it is generally accepted as the appropriate level of safety and care for construction and inspection of fireplaces. Not only that, but this document is also referenced repeatedly by the International Residential Code, as well as the Illinois Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes.
The construction of flues is regulated by the Illinois State Building Code, as well as by the American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM C 1283.
If a chimney flue liner has missing mortar at the joints or cracked tiles, it does not meet this standard of safety, and the chimney is deemed unsafe for use.