Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Sherman Oaks, Before You Light It Again

Many chimney fires are never seen. Some are loud, with a roar like a low plane, popping and cracking, dense smoke and a hot smell outside. Others burn slowly for a few minutes and go out on their own, and the owner only finds out later from flakes of puffy creosote on the roof or a damper that no longer closes. Either way the damage sits inside the flue where nobody can see it from the room. That is the reason NFPA 211 names a Level 2 inspection after an operating malfunction or outside event likely to have harmed the chimney. A Level 1 looks at what is readily reachable. A Level 2 sends a camera through the whole flue, from the smoke chamber to the top, and adds the attic, crawl space and roof where the chimney passes through, because that is where heat can reach the house. The same level applies after a strong earthquake, after a lightning strike, and after a wildfire that put embers or heavy ash on the roof.

So the first step after a fire is short. Put it out, or let the fire department do it. Stop using the fireplace. Then book the Level 2. Do not wait for the next cool night to see whether it draws, because a flue can draw well and still have a split tile that sends the next fire's heat into the brick. In Sherman Oaks we book post-fire inspections ahead of routine work. The visit usually starts with a sweep, because burned creosote coats the tiles and hides cracks, then the camera goes in on clean surfaces. If you have used the fireplace since the event, tell us how many times. That changes what we look for.

A Level 2 runs $325. Tell us on the phone if the chimney is tall, has more than one flue, sits on a steep or tile roof, or has an attic that takes time to reach, so we plan the time before we come. The visit covers the firebox, damper and smoke chamber; the full length of the flue on camera, joint by joint; the outside of the chimney, crown, cap and flashing; and the framing and insulation next to the chimney in the attic or crawl space, checked for scorching or heat marks. We record the camera run and save stills of every finding with the depth where it sits.

What you walk away with is a written report that opens with the answer: safe to use, safe after a named repair, or not safe until the chimney is repaired or rebuilt. Each finding follows with its photo, in order of risk. The report carries the date and address and describes what we saw in plain words, which is what an insurance adjuster or a buyer's agent needs. We do not decide coverage, your insurer does, but a clear report makes that conversation shorter. If the inspection turns up a hidden problem the camera cannot settle, such as possible heat damage behind a wall, the report says so and explains when a Level 3 is worth it. If everything holds, you can light the fireplace again knowing why.