Old Chimneys- Wenatchee Home Inspection

Old Chimneys- Wenatchee Home Inspection

Are you using your Chimney? Did you use to have an old oil furnace or other fuel burning appliance or have you removed a fireplace or woodstove?



If the answer is yes then the chimney should be sealed off to reduce heat loss and prevent moisture, birds and debris from taking root in the chimney.

It is very important to seal both the interior and exterior sections of the flue. If the chimney is in rough shape you may want to remove the chimney below the roof line.

Believe it or not the IRC (international Residential Code) requires (G2425.5 (501.5)) that abandoned inlet openings in chimneys and vents shall be closed by an approved method.

This usually means a plug that will seal the opening or fill the flue opening with mortar to create a 100% seal.

To prevent moisture, debris, and the possibility of animals making their homes in the abandoned chimney from the exterior measures should be taken to seal the chimney from the top. Again this can be achieved by fabricating a metal cap or mortaring in the flue.

Since many people are not comfortable working on the roof, or of the roof is very steep or high this maybe best left to the professionals.

One of the best options if the chimney is abandoned is to remove the chimney below the roof line. If this is possible I highly recommend this because this removes many issues that come with chimney such as roof leaks and further deterioration of the chimney.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Albert Einstein

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…


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