Before you light the first fire of the season in Somerset, an inspection tells you whether the flue is clear, intact, and safe to draw smoke. We document the chimney level by level, then scan the concealed flue on camera, and explain every finding plainly. The mix of construction eras in Somerset means no two chimney inspections look alike, so we scope each one to what that specific stack is made of. The report is honest about severity, so a stable hairline gets noted as such, not dressed up into an emergency. Call 908-228-9754 to have your Somerset chimney inspected ahead of the first fire.
- Level 1, 2, and 3 inspections
- Full-flue video camera scan
- Written report with photos
- Crown, cap, flashing, and liner checked
- Pre-sale and post-fire ready
The Reason For Handling This Properly With Care
Inspections are tiered, and the right tier depends on your situation. The camera captures the full flue interior, giving you footage you can keep. If the chimney is sound, the report says so clearly, without inventing repairs. It is the difference an experienced crew actually makes.
What we end up rebuilding on Somerset chimneys almost always started as water nobody noticed. Snow piles on the crown, melts in the sun, refreezes after dark, and prizes the slab apart. What began as a hairline crack widens into an open joint, then into water reaching the flue itself. The owners who get decades out of a chimney are the ones who treat water as the real threat it is.
Chimney inspections come in three levels, and matching the level to the situation matters. A video camera scans the entire flue interior, recording the cracks and shifts a flashlight from below never reveals. We document the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, crown, cap, and flashing, then put every finding in a written report with photos. It is the kind of detail that separates a real job from a rushed one.
What We Bring To It On Site With Care
The value of an inspection depends on running the right level for the job. We push a camera the length of the flue, so the findings are something you can see rather than take on faith. The deliverable is a written report you can hand to a buyer, seller, or insurance adjuster. It is how we earn the call back next season.
Our process is built to be clean, clear, and complete. You reach a person who understands chimneys, we book a time that suits you, and we come ready to work. We protect your floors and furnishings, complete the work, document the before-and-after, and explain it in plain language. We keep the steps clear so you are never guessing what comes next.
The first decision in any inspection is which of the three levels applies. The video scan is what separates a real inspection from a flashlight-and-a-guess. The report covers the whole system from firebox to cap, documented the way an inspector or insurer expects. That is just how we run every Somerset service call.
The Building Stock In Our Service Area and Then Some in Somerset County
The older homes around Somerset are exactly the ones we work on most. From the brick stacks on older homes to the metal flues on newer construction, each has its own wear pattern. Our familiarity with the local homes is why we catch problems an out-of-area crew would walk right past. We have repaired enough local stacks to know their habits before we climb up.
A good inspection begins by matching its depth to what you actually need. The camera records every clay tile and mortar joint, turning the inspection from an opinion into evidence. We note the condition of every component in writing, so you have a record you can act on or file. That care is the whole point of hiring a local crew.
What Is At Risk In Doing This and Then Some
Beyond the masonry, the real reason chimney care matters is safety. An unswept flue stores fuel for a fire; a cracked liner removes the wall between that fire and your house. A clean, sound, well-vented chimney is the difference between a cozy fire and an emergency call. Keeping your fireplace safe to use is the whole point of the work.
Chimney work runs on trust precisely because the customer cannot check it alone. You should never have to take a sweep's word that your flue is cracked or your crown is failing. Proshield Chimney Works is built to be the opposite: we tell you what your chimney needs and what it does not, and we back both with photos. The next call we want is the one you make next year, not the one we pressure out of you today.
The standard defines three inspection levels for three different needs. The camera is what makes a modern inspection honest, traveling the full flue to document every tile, joint, and crack. We document clearance to the framing, the crown, the cap, and the flashing alongside the flue. It is the kind of detail that separates a real job from a rushed one.
One crew for the whole chimney
A chimney is a system, so chimney inspection rarely stands alone — it connects to flue cleaning, chimney leak repair, spark arrestor cap, chimney crown, chimney liner, and our crew handles all of it under one roof. We bring the same service to New Brunswick chimney inspection, Chimney Inspection in North Brunswick, Chimney Inspection in Franklin Township, Chimney Inspection in Edison and everywhere else across Somerset County.
If you searched for a local chimney crew near you, you have reached a local crew — call 908-228-9754 any time. For background, read How Often to Sweep a Somerset Chimney, Without the Sales Pitch on our blog, or head back to our Somerset home page to see everything we do.
