by Mark Hudson | Feb 28, 2020 | Chimney Inspections
It can be quite difficult to properly diagnose a chimney problem when you don’t have the proper equipment to get the job done right. Licensed and certified professionals who are trained in chimney science and diagnostics are able to get to the source of the matter and offer a report that is clear and helpful. Once the homeowner has the report, the repairs can be planned and completed so that more damage isn’t sustained in the wait.
Expert Diagnostics With Chim-Scan
Chimney professionals use a special CCV camera system designed to go inside the flue and offer a view where most cannot look. Using the Chim-Scan system, chimney experts are able to inspect even the most out-of-reach places. Chim-Scan inspections result in HD quality images and document the general condition of the chimney interior. This is the only real way to verify chimney safety and diagnose chimney damage.
Masonry and Pre-Fab Chimneys
Chimney professionals can use a Chim-Scan system to inspect your chimney whether it’s a pre-fab chimney or a masonry one. They are used when a real estate inspection is needed, to verify repairs have been done properly, to complete a level two inspection and more. In order to get the most of the inspections, there are a few different models that work with certain types of systems or after certain serious damage has occurred. When it’s time to have the system inspected, there’s no need for you to fret over the decisions. Your chimney sweep will determine how to best scan the system and provide the most detailed report possible.
Chimney Inspections in Jacksonville
Whether your fireplace and chimney have been acting up, or you simply need your annual inspection to ensure the safety and efficiency of your system, we can help. Residents in and around Jacksonville depend on Hudson Chimney for comprehensive chimney care year-round. We travel from Jacksonville South to Crescent City and from Lake Butler and Gainesville to St. Augustine, covering a large area and many cities. When there is a problem that needs to be diagnosed or a repair that needs to be made, we handle it with expert care and professional courtesy. For the convenience of our customers and the safety of our communities, we offer three levels of inspection that provide the best diagnostics and lowest cost to our customers.
- Level One – This is the chimney inspection necessary under the best of conditions when the chimney system has been used in the same way with no changes and no problems. A level one inspection is required annually for safety and efficiency and includes all readily accessible portions of the chimney interior and exterior.
- Level Two – When the chimney has had a problem functioning properly when repairs or changes have been made, or after a natural occurrence like a fire, earthquake, or tornado, a more thorough inspection is necessary. A level two inspection is also required before the sale or transfer of property, but this is not the same as a home inspection, as a home inspector will not properly assess a chimney and fireplace system. A level two inspection includes all accessible portions of the system (including those found by way of doorways in attics, basements, and crawlspaces) and a video scan for detailed diagnostics and reporting.
- Level Three – When a problem is detected in a lesser-level inspection, your chimney sweep will recommend a level three inspection. This is a thorough inspection designed to access suspected hazards even if it requires minor demolition. Your technician may have to remove panels and even masonry to access a suspected hazard and repairs usually follow a level three inspection.
If you schedule your annual inspection and a problem is discovered, it will be handled swiftly by our team at Hudson Chimney. Our technicians are CSIA certified and have the knowledge and experience to handle any job, big or small. Our goal is safety for our customers. This keeps our friends and neighbors warm, and our communities safe from accidental fires. Because we know the seriousness of the matter, we also know the solution. When it comes to chimney safety, prevention is key. The only way to prevent chimney accidents, hazards, and costly damages is to schedule important routine services for your chimney now. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) asserts that chimneys must be inspected annually and cleaned regularly for safety and efficiency. The chimneys that are dangerous are those that are neglected, affected by unseen damage, or used improperly. When one of our experts takes a look at your system on a regular basis, we catch the damage, we correct the problems, and we answer questions and share all the newest information available.
Our dedication to your safety and comfort season after season, year after year, is why we continue to choose and trust Chim-Scan closed circuit internal evaluation system. When we can’t see the damage, it doesn’t get addressed. This is why homeowners trust Hudson Chimney, and we trust Chim-Scan.
Call us at 904-282-4159 to schedule your appointment with our Chim-Scan technology.
by Mark Hudson | Sep 16, 2019 | About Us
When it comes to chimney installation, repair, and maintenance, it’s important to hire only certified professionals for the job. For years the chimney industry had been under-regulated until the 1980s when the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) created a standard by which to hold professionals. Now, chimney sweeps across the country have a credential strive for and homeowners and consumers have a certification they can depend on.
CSIA Certified Professionals
We are not only CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps (CCS), but also CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technicians (CDET). We trust the
Chimney Safety Institute of America with our training, examination, re-certification, and our progressive advancement in an ever-changing industry. As CSIA certified professionals, we are educated online or in a classroom, examined over standards, chimney safety, and federal codes and regulations. Those holding a CSIA certification must re-certify every three years by way of re-examination or continuing education credits and adhere to a stringent code of ethics created to protect consumers from scams of the industry. Those found to be in violation of the code of ethics can have their certification revoked. It’s our goal as CSIA certified technicians to not only serve our customers but also to educate and protect them.
Affiliations and Memberships
We are not only certified professionals, but we also connect with other experts in our field by joining associations and maintaining memberships and affiliations. We maintain memberships in the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCWG), the Georgia Chimney Sweep Guild (GCSG), and owner Mark is the founder and president of the Florida Guild of Professional Chimney Sweeps (FGPCS). Through these organizations, we are able to stay ahead of the best brands, products, and technologies in the industry as well as changes to standards and more.
Education as Foundation
The foundation of a good chimney sweep company is education. It is important to us and our customers that we stay up to date on all new advancements and standards to keep our customers safe and comfortable year after years. Our team at Hudson Chimney doesn’t stop at the standard set for the industry but rises above and beyond it with the latest tools, trends, equipment, and products. When you depend on Hudson, you are trusting your chimney with the best—Jacksonville’s chosen chimney care company for over thirty years!
Hudson’s Comprehensive Chimney Care
If you reside in or around Jacksonville, Florida and own or rent a home with a chimney, Hudson Chimney has all you need for comprehensive chimney care. We offer routine preventative maintenance recommended by both the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). When we find damage—big or small—during a chimney sweep or inspection, we can repair it. We make repairs correctly and we complete them swiftly. When you schedule repairs now, your chimney system will be ready for use when temperatures drop this fall.
When your chimney needs work, don’t trust the amateurs, trust the professionals with appropriate credentials and expertise to get the job done right.
Call Hudson Chimney at 904-282-4159 or contact us online.
by Mark Hudson | Jul 31, 2018 | Chimney Sweeping Before Fall
Despite what you may think about summer, it may be the best time to think about your chimney system. In fact, summer is the best time to have chimney work done! This includes installations, conversions, repairs, and routine maintenance. Your chimney requires certain preventive services in order to continue to work safely and efficiently year after year. Your chimney should be swept–and when you schedule during the summer, you beat the fall rush.
The Fall Rush
The period that occurs every year between October and January is called the fall rush. This is the time that chimney professionals are busy with emergency calls, repairs, and installations. If you wait until fall to schedule your chimney sweep, you may not get the desired appointment time, the technician you want, or even the company you trust. If it comes to waiting for an appointment time, many homeowners may even take the risk and use a fireplace that hasn’t been swept or inspected. This can put the family at risk and create bad habits that cause damage to the system. Schedule now, and avoid the fall rush altogether.
Why Schedule a Sweep
Chimney sweeps are one of two very important appointments that continuously keep your chimney system working for you. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), routine chimney sweeps and annual chimney inspections keep the chimney system safe and efficient year after year. Fortunately, many chimney sweep companies offer a chimney sweep that includes an inspection. Hudson Chimney offers chimney sweeps that include overall assessments year-round, and we encourage our customers to schedule during the summer.
What to Expect
When you schedule a chimney sweep with Hudson Chimney, you are guaranteed the best courtesy and care to accompany your chimney work. Our first priority is the safety of our customers in and around Jacksonville. We hope to accomplish this task, first, by offering the best services, and then by treating each job with professional courtesy and expertise.
We start by tarping the area in front of the fireplace and a high-speed vacuuming system that collects the soot from entering your living space or affecting your carpet and floor. Once ready, we use brushes and rods, hand brushes, and a vacuum to clean soot and creosote from top to bottom. The damper will be cleaned and checked for correct installation. The exterior masonry is checked, with close attention to mortar, brickwork, and crown. Your technician will document all findings and present you with photos and video footage along with a written evaluation. This inspection is for your records and should be kept in case you need it for homeowners insurance for a sale, or even for an appraisal or refinance. Most of all, when you schedule a chimney sweep, you can rest assured that your chimney system is ready for the first fire this fall.
If you’re ready to schedule your chimney sweep, and you own a home or business in the Jacksonville area, Hudson Chimney is here for you.
Call 904-282-4159 or contact us online.
