With all the money that goes into maintaining a home, many homeowners out there often mistakenly believe they can do certain things on their own. Of these things, chimney inspections are by far one of the most important. If you aren’t regularly hiring a pro to inspect and clean your chimney, you may be putting your home and your family in harm’s way. Here are the reasons why a chimney inspector is always a better choice.
Ample Training
In today’s day and age of YouTube and instructional videos, it seems that just about anyone can be an expert in just about anything. However, when it comes to inspecting your chimney, there’s absolutely no way to make up for years of training. Things change over time, and chimneys are certainly no different. Every single year, new technologies and research lead to changes in fire codes and inspection techniques, and unless you’re involved in the industry, there’s a good chance that you won’t have access to the most up-to-date information out there. This could end up costing you dearly.
Years of Experience
Professional chimney inspectors have years of experience that the average homeowner doesn’t. Even when they are new to the job, they are required to serve apprenticeships under well-trained inspectors to ensure they learn how to do their jobs properly. After all, if an inspector overlooks something crucial, the company could be held liable for any damages that occur as a result of that oversight. This alone is a good reason to always hire a professional rather than relying on quick videos, outdated knowledge, or your own instinct to help you locate problems.
Commercial Tools of the Trade
Another reason why a professional chimney inspector may see something that you are likely to miss has to do with the tools available to that inspector. These days, even basic inspections involve the use of expensive commercial-grade gear like ladders, safety harnesses, and cameras. Spending thousands of dollars on equipment you will use only once each year is wasteful, and you’ll get a much better return on your investment by simply hiring a professional to do the inspection in the first place.
CSIA Certification
Finally, as long as you have chosen a chimney inspector who is CSIA-certified, you can rest assured that this individual has proven his or her ability to do his or her job according to incredibly high safety standards. The CSIA, or Chimney Safety Institute of America, requires extensive testing and training before providing its coveted certification. All that training and testing ensures that your inspector knows exactly what he or she should be looking for during an inspection, no matter how large or small the job may be.
Though you can absolutely inspect your own chimney to a degree, and this is even encouraged if you are cleaning out your fireplace or you’re already on the roof to clean your gutters, this should never replace the professional inspection that you should get once each year. A professional is far more likely to find something that you won’t, and this could save your home or your life in the long run.
