Surveying & Reports

Q: Why do you need a camera survey of the inside of your chimney? 
A: Over a period of time your chimney suffers. Even with regular sweeping, the internal surfaces are continually attacked by acids and moisture from the smoke generated from your fire. Gradually the bricks and mortar become porous and ‘crumbly’, eventually losing their strength. By using a CCTV camera to inspect the internal condition of the chimney, problems can be identified.

A: Quite often, Property Surveys DO NOT include a full report on a chimneys condition but instead offer very limited information gathered from the ground using binculars!!Whether you are a private buyer or seller wanting to protect your investment or a professional developer, Estate / Letting Agent or Local Authority, a full report on the structural integrity of a property's Chimneys is vital to ensure you have full and comprehensive knowledge of the property in question. Click here for details on our Technical Reports.

Q: Why do I need a camera survey when I am going to have the chimney lined anyway? 
A: If the chimney is structurally weakened, lining is unlikely to improve the condition. If bricks dividing the flues in a chimney have become dislodged and there is a hole in the side of the flue, insulation material from ‘back-filling’ around the liner will spill out, causing mess and further problems. More importantly, if the adjoining flue is blocked by debris and that flue is used without being cleared and repaired, there is the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning as smoke will not be able to rise cleanly and may spill back into the room.  

Q: How is a camera survey done? 
A: The chimney requires sweeping prior to an inspection. Furniture should be moved away from the area around the fireplace. The floor around the fireplace is covered with sheeting and a special camera is then passed into the fireplace and pushed up the chimney using rods. The pictures are recorded and will be supplied as part of the final report. A vacuum cleaner is on hand at all times during the camera inspection should any dust or debris be dislodged during the inspection. 

Q: What else happens during an inspection?
A: A visual inspection of the chimney stack is done (there may be additional charges if the top of the chimney stack is obscured and requires special measures to obtain a satisfactory assessment). Ventilation throughout that area of the building is assessed, in particular the location of any existing air vents and extraction fans.  

All this information is formatted into a report which will be posted to you.

Contact us on 01255 871940 or

Chimney maintenance, chimney surveying, chimney repairs, relining, renovation and restoration services for chimneys, building services, wood stove installation, woodburners installed in Essex and Suffolk.