​Are all of your employees on the same page? Is there a discrepancy in terms or procedures? Does your office staff understand what your chimney technicians are trying to tell them? Does it take a long time to train new employees? These problems can be solved with the Chim-Scan® Factory Training (CSFT) class.

This class/book follows a video scanning and inspection process. Each of the five modules takes the technician from one transition point to the next. It provides an up-close view within the structure.  There is also a 17-page glossary with terms and images. The book includes over 400 photos that explain what you will see in the flue. 

How can your team be aligned if your technicians don’t agree on terms or the procedure? Is this causing confusion with your office staff? If each employee who trains a new technician uses their own terms and unique processes, this confuses the technicians and office support staff! Having streamlined training is essential to having a staff that works together. 
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Do your technicians understand what is happening in the flue? A cracked chimney does not always mean a chimney fire has occurred. A crack may indicate one of these causes: overfiring, chimney fire, or a seismic event. This book focuses in depth on the symptoms to look for other than cracks. There is other evidence to gather, images to capture, and analysis of how this may affect the structure. 

Highlights for the CSFT book and training:
• What is an Ideal Chimney? How does it stand up to IRC and NFPA 211?
• When do I use IRC, NFPA 211, or the appliance manufacturer’s installation instructions?
• Understanding the Levels of Inspection and Chimney Scanning
• Cracks in the flue, Thermal Stress, and Thermal Shock
• Best viewing angles for scanning – the best angle to use by defect for the best images
• The Four Pathways to Deterioration, with examples and images
• Best Access Points for scanning
• What you might find in a chimney (animals, types of soot, etc.).
• Equipment check
• Scanning patterns

Once technicians become familiar with the content in the book, they can take the Chim-Scan® Factory Trained Technician Test to achieve this designation. They will earn a certificate and a patch. A copy of the logo is also available for their use now. This will put them light years ahead of their competition and make them a source of knowledge for homeowners.

Masonry Clay Flue Tile Defects
Masonry clay flue tiles meet a harsh environment inside the chimney. Corrosive condensation, moisture, chimney fires, and other conditions may damage a flue tile. In certain circumstances, a clay flue tile can last for decades, provided they are maintained and the homeowner operates the appliance or burns responsibly.

Latent Defects are defects found within the system from improper and sometimes creative use of material that stray from building codes or the manufacturer's installation instructions. This deviation from the codes or installation instructions creates various issues within an installation.

Wear and Tear is the natural aging process where material breaks down over time. Wear and tear can also include how an appliance is operated. If it is too hot, it decreases the life of the appliance, chimney, and connector pipe. If the temperatures are too low, it can create a tar-like creosote and increase the likelihood of a Sudden Occurrence (or condensation with gas/oil). Another factor is maintenance or lack of maintenance. Wear and tear can sometimes overlap with other categories.

Moisture and Condensation damage occur when water enters the chimney interior due to a missing cap, leaking crown, cracks in the brick structure, freeze-thaw breaks in the bed or head joints, and a poor choice of brick, causing excess water absorption. Another source of water in a chimney can come from condensation. This condensation occurs when the flue gas temperature falls below the dew point. Because of the water percentage in natural gas and liquid propane, the flue gases may condense in masonry chimneys, especially those located along the home's exterior.
The next fuel to condense is wood. When the warm gases reach the masonry flue liners, they, too, cool off. The moisture is included with the other byproducts of wood burning – black creosote, watery or tarlike soot.
The last fuel, oil, will also condense on the masonry walls. Due to the higher efficiencies that oil appliances can now operate, they too will condense and, with their acidic nature, can destroy masonry clay flue tiles.

A Sudden Occurrence is a sudden event that causes damage. It can be a chimney fire, a sudden weather-related incident(s) such as a tornado, strong wind, or a seismic event. It has to be out of the ordinary of daily operations.
A Sudden Occurrence, the last Pathway, includes damage seen from a direct and sudden event. Indirect manners can apply to areas where mine subsidence has occurred (where mining was performed). Of the Pathways, this last defect(s) will usually become an insurable loss. The other three defect categories – Latent Defect, Wear & Tear, and Moisture are generally not insurable losses since insurance contracts (policies) do not include them.

​A leaky chimney can cause deterioration and unpleasantness. Moisture can cause many problems to the chimney and flue. It can also damage drywall, ceilings, and cause your fireplace to smell. An open chimney top leaves the chimney vulnerable. This big open area resembles a giant rain gauge but is much more significant.
An open chimney lets in moisture, such as rain, sleet, snow, debris, and animals, which causes deterioration and an unpleasant smell. A quality rain cap works like a big umbrella, directing rain away from the flue opening. A chimney cap with a screen is the best option, as the screen will deter animals from wanting to nest in your chimney.
A chimney crown (or wash) is a barrier that prevents moisture from entering the cavity between the flue tiles and the interior of the brick (or stone). It starts at a gap near the flue tile and extends to the exterior brick, often with an overhang and a drip edge. Cracks in the chimney crown allow moisture into the chimney, and the cracks can expand when the moisture is frozen, accelerating the damage. Most cracks in a chimney crown can be repaired, but if severe, the crown can be replaced.
Chimney flashing and counterflashing is a metal material that forms a moisture barrier between the chimney and the roofing material. Defective or improperly installed chimney flashing can let water into the chimney and the home since It tends to follow the chimney into an attic or enter rooms below the chimney, damaging ceilings, drywall, and other materials. Repairing or replacing the flashing will direct moisture away from the gap between the chimney and the home's structure.
Moisture can wash out the mortar joints holding the flue tiles together. The flue tiles are the first line of defense against combustion products. If the mortar is missing, the tiles can shift, or at the very least, they will leave an opening in the flue. Moisture can also cause flaking of the flue tile and bring creosote and mineral salts through the mortar to the chimney’s exterior, leaving dark creosote and (white) efflorescence stains.
When moisture has caused flue defects, several solutions can be explored. If the mortar joints are missing, relining the chimney is one option, or resurfacing the flue may be necessary (the flue tiles must be intact and aligned). A chimney technician can use stain removal cleaners to remove stains on the exterior. Another option is waterproofing the chimney’s exterior if the moisture penetrates the brick-and-mortar (or stone) exterior.
As more moisture travels down the chimney and into the flue, damage can occur, such as eroded mortar joints in the flue, smoke chamber, and firebox, particularly the back wall. It can rust a fireplace damper, glass door, and screens. This moisture will continue to break down the fireplace and damper while creating an unpleasant smell from the wet soot and debris, particularly in the spring and summer. The fireplace can be repaired and the damper replaced, but the moisture must first be stopped. Cleaning the flue and smoke chamber may help, but often, the soot is already soaked into the masonry, and it is impossible to remove all of it.
The best way to prevent moisture problems is to ensure that leaks are taken care of promptly to avoid further erosion problems. Keeping moisture out of the chimney will prolong its life and reduce annoying stains and odors. By spending a little now, costly future repairs can be avoided. Take heart; if there is damage from moisture, it can be repaired by a chimney professional so you can continue to enjoy your fireplace.
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