We document chimney damage clearly so you can bring accurate information to your insurance carrier.
Whether a chimney loss is covered depends on the cause of loss, the language of your policy, its exclusions, the applicable coverage, and your carrier's coverage determination. We cannot guarantee that a claim will be approved or paid.
What we can do is inspect the chimney, document the condition with photographs and camera footage, and perform the repair or rebuild work. We are a chimney contractor — we are not public adjusters, and we do not negotiate claims on your behalf.
Chimney fires can crack the flue tile in the fireplace and chimney flue. Excessive heat and thermal shock can cause structural damage to the chimney, leaving it unsafe for wood burning.
Damage of this kind is often reviewed under a homeowners policy's fire and casualty coverage, though coverage is always determined by your carrier. Photographs are taken using a Level 2 Wöhler visual inspection camera.
Raccoons going up and down a chimney flue can damage the cement between the flue tiles, which makes the chimney unsafe to burn. Raccoons and other pests push out and down to climb the flue, knocking cement out of the joints and leaving unsafe gaps that could allow a fire inside the wall of your home.
Structural damage from animals may fall under a property loss policy depending on your policy language and your carrier's determination.
Chimney fires, lightning strikes, earthquakes, fallen trees, very high winds, and other traumas can damage the liner, masonry, or chimney structure.
Wood, coal, and to a lesser degree oil fires combust fuel incompletely. The resulting smoke exits the chimney with unburned particulates in suspension. As the smoke rises it cools, condensation occurs, and the particulates are deposited inside the flue as soot or creosote. Soot from oil appliances and creosote from wood and coal appliances are the chief culprits in chimney fires. Under the right conditions these deposits will ignite, sometimes explosively, and burn at very hot temperatures.
Terra-cotta tile liners will withstand large amounts of heat, but not a rapid rise in temperature. If the rise is severe enough the liner can crack and in some cases develop holes. Even when the fire is contained, the damaged liner needs to be repaired or replaced so fire protection and proper function are maintained.
Tell us what your fireplace or chimney needs and we'll get back to you with an honest, up-front price.
