CSIA certified chimney inspection for Berea's older masonry homes. Berea's housing stock from the 1940s through the 1970s frequently includes chimneys originally built with two flues — one for a fireplace and one for a coal or oil furnace. When those furnaces were decommissioned, the second flue was often abandoned without proper permanent sealing. Both the active fireplace flue and the abandoned furnace flue are inspected and documented separately.
A Berea chimney with two flues requires independent assessment of each. The active flue and the abandoned flue have different failure modes and different documentation needs. Both are covered in the written findings.
An unsealed abandoned flue creates a year-round air path through the chimney wall, pulling conditioned air out and allowing outdoor air to bypass any damper seal in the active flue.
An open top on the abandoned furnace flue is a direct entry point for birds and small animals — particularly chimney swifts, which are federally protected and cannot be removed once nesting.
A failed or absent top cap on the abandoned flue allows rain to enter the full height of the abandoned liner — saturating mortar joints and potentially affecting the adjacent active flue structure.