Hot take: Look at the liner before a fireplace update

When folks plan to redo their fireplace, I tell them to check the chimney liner first. A cracked liner can be a fire risk that gets ignored during pretty changes. I use a camera on a pole to get a good view inside. It saves trouble later and keeps the home safe.

3 comments

3 Comments

riverp371mo ago

Check the liner before any fancy updates. I skipped it once and had to deal with a chimney fire scare. Your camera idea is spot on for catching those hidden cracks.

wren_smith441mo ago

My old contractor swore by those cheap borescope cameras from the hardware store. Solid call from @riverp37 on the liner, that's not a corner you want to cut. A quick look with the camera saved me a huge headache last fall.

wesleyjohnson1mo ago

Just make sure it's a chimney specific one.