I’ve been involved in the chimney industry since the late ‘70s when my wife and I started our chimney sweeping business. Anyone who was a sweep during this time enjoyed a business that boomed during the fall and winter, then fell off in the spring and summer. How times have changed. In these early days, there were no criteria for chimney inspections. Chimney sweeps swept the chimney, maybe noted some issues to the homeowner about the soot level,and left. Litigation and insurance companies started to change the industry and were the basis for developing the industry’s Standard of Care. 
Taking the NFPA 211 Annex and placing it into installation type.
One day, at the turn of the century, as I sat on my deck relaxing, my mind wandered back to the year 1998 when a bunch of guys and I drafted the Levels of Inspections, Degrees of Access, and the list of inspection items in Chapters 14 & 15 and in the NFPA 211 Annex. As I thought about how it would be incorporated into a chimney technician’s inspection, I realized it would be difficult for the technician to try to hit all the inspection items from memory. Additionally, some items would apply to one type of installation, but not all. Today, 25 years later, some chimney technicians are still missing inspection items from NFPA 211. It’s almost as if our industry Standard of Care slipped through our fingers. Is it because there are too many items for a technician to inspect? No, we've become lazy and pick and choose what we want. This led me to begin my 10,000 hours of creating what became the Flue and Hearth Notes™ inspection forms. 
Different Installation Types.
Forty years ago, before NFPA 211’s Inspection criteria, an inspection form was created with a fireplace and a handful of inspection items to check. It was in triplicate form, and chimney sweeps used it for all types of installations. It was used for all chimneys. However, a fireplace inspection differs dramatically from a chimney serving a gas water heater and an oil boiler venting into one flue. Unfortunately, some chimney sweeps and technicians still use these forms.  Twenty years ago, I envisioned building a comprehensive inspection form Based on NFPA 211 but for specific applications such as a Masonry Fireplace, a Prefabricated Fireplace, a Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving an Appliance(s), and a Prefabricated Chimney Serving an Appliance(s).  Although these installations all have chimneys, each chimney vents a different type of heating unit or fireplace. In addition, the fuels can differ: LP gas, natural gas, oil, coal, wood, and pellets.
No installations are the same, but you will see the same types of defects.
Every installation is unique, but the types of defects are the same across the board. For instance, defects can range from vertical and horizontal cracks, protruding mortar joints, stacked liners, and misaligned liners to missing chimney liners.
Start creating a Unity track: Defining what’s important.
One of my all-time favorite stories is one Tom Grandy shared about a trip to the dentist. As with any dental visit, almost everyone gets the lecture about how to floss twice a day, and we are given the same demonstration of how to floss each time we brush. One day, after a lecture on flossing, Tom shared what we all feel, and the dentists regularly hear. “I hate to floss!” I suppose that day, the dentist had heard it for the umpteenth time, and he was ready. He responded, “OK, just do the teeth you want to keep!” This has similarities to our industry. A technician can’t just pick and choose what they want to search for (the insurable cracked flue liner). All inspection items must be investigated (NFPA 211, Chapters 14, 15, and the Annex). I felt pulling all this together would create unity on chimney inspections in our industry since it didn’t seem to be happening.
The start of the Flue and Hearth Notes™ (10,000 hours) of form building and why and how they are built.
I began with the vision of a unified form. I grouped inspection items with installation types. I further included an area for defects related to specific areas, such as a chimney liner. I grouped inspection items per area where they were found in the chimney or fireplace. I included information on appliances. I had professionally created drawings and pulled everything into multiple inspection report forms. Recently, I added more forms to the offering and broke them down by fuels. We now have eight form types: Masonry Fireplace, Masonry Fireplace with a Hearth Stove, Masonry Fireplace with an Insert, Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving a Solid Fuel Appliance, Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving a Liquid Fuel Appliance(s), Prefabricated Chimney Serving a Solid Fuel Appliance, Prefabricated Chimney Serving a Liquid Fuel(s) Appliance, and Prefabricated Fireplace and Chimney. We have Level I and Level II forms for each installation type. That’s 16 forms in total. But then, we went a step further.

​I recently read that people spend much of their spare time on smartphones and the internet. Hey, with so much information and entertainment, why pick up a book or learn a new hobby when you can watch someone else in an app? The desire to discover, learn more, understand, and be the best is diminishing. Instead of scanning the entire flue, searching every crack and joint, the inspection often stops at the vertical crack in the flue tile. It’s like a “good enough” mentality. When it comes to chimneys, if defects are missed, is this ever “good enough”? It seems that we, as an industry, are failing the American Public.
Insufficient or poor-quality information
I’ve been sent reports from homeowners all over the US. They are concerned, and from these reports I’ve seen, they have a right to be. Some of these reports have been from industry “leaders.”
In these reports, confusion is woven into many of the inspection reports I’ve received. Some contain a multitude of pages (up to 20+). Some have paragraphs on some pages, and several pages later, the corresponding image sits surrounded by other images. Connecting the paragraphs with the photos is impossible in the homeowner's eyes. In addition, I’ve picked up on some defects from the pictures not mentioned in the report and incorrect information in the report.
Some sweeps still use the old single fireplace with checkboxes from almost four decades ago. The customer wonders what a fireplace form has to do with their oil boiler and gas water heater. Then there’s NFPA 211 Chapters 14 and 15, along with the inspection items, which aren’t listed on these old forms. 
 Some reports contain technical jargon and scary words like condemned, house fire, death, etc. The customers don’t understand what’s going on. They feel pushed and aren’t sure where to turn to get their questions answered. Sometimes, a competitor straightens them out. Other times, they find us online and send us copies of their reports. This is a credibility wrecker within this industry. 
Customers won’t buy something they don’t understand.
Customers who don’t understand why they need a repair may get a second opinion because the report is weighted in technical jargon and scare tactics. It’s essential that the customer understands the defect first and then is presented with a solution written in an easy-to-understand manner. That’s called solution selling. Present the defect so the customer understands the problem. THEN, present the solution, which usually sells itself. Customers feel better because they “get it,” they are making an informed decision, and aren’t pressured by threats such as “Your house will burn down.”
No unity of inspections
In 1998, a group of chimney specialists created Chapters 14 and 15, including the Levels of Inspection and the inspection items in the NFPA 211 Annex. The goal was to eliminate confusion about chimney inspections and streamline the industry. This created the chimney industry Standard of Care. Unfortunately, not all chimney inspection technicians use this information, even today, 25+ years later. 
Imagine if each airline pilot's prep before a flight with 250 people wasn’t standardized with an industry-standard preflight checklist. Some might take shortcuts. Others will take a long time to check everything. But no one would be on the same page. This lack of coordination historically resulted in accidents. When there is no consistency, problems arise. This is happening in our industry.
The future of our industry depends on unity, particularly chimney inspections. This was the goal in 1998, which was the thorn in everyone’s side).
If our industry continues to ignore the Levels of Inspection and not follow the requirements set forth in NFPA 211 Chapters 14 & 15 and items in the Annex, it will not end well. Usually, this happens with litigation. It is already happening. It’s called failure to report. That’s also in NFPA 211. NFPA 211 Chapters 14 & 15 are now case law. The precedence is set. If you are not following the Inspection of Existing Chimneys (chapter 14) and hitting these items, it’s just a matter of time. It may lead homeowners to get rid of their fireplaces.

​Whether performing chimney inspections or reading a chimney inspection report, one thing is clear: It is hard to argue with a high-resolution picture taken during a chimney inspection with a camera showing defects deep inside the flue. A chimney inspection done with the naked eye is no comparison to an internal chimney scanning. I used a 5’ chimney prop with hidden defects in the chimney inspections and classes I taught for 21 years. Almost 99.9% of the time, the inspectors missed an opening defect within the flue by inspecting only with a flashlight and the naked eye. These defects were only 17” from their face. 

Images and videos from scanning chimneys are one part of the equation. If you read a report with multiple pictures, can you understand what the defects are and what caused them? Here are some other questions to consider:

1. Can you identify and define “What is a defect?” within the chimney interior?"
2. Can you determine how the defect was created or the most probable way it was created?
3. Did you rule out other causes and conditions, leaving probable causes as to why the defect is there?

In my forty years in the chimney industry, I have accumulated a lot of images, videos, and knowledge regarding chimney construction and defects. I have also spoken at national and state organizations and taught at a national trade organization school for over twenty years (Chimney Safety Institute of America). 

This wealth of experience led me to envision a way to share this information with the chimney industry and anyone interested in internal chimney inspections, culminating in the following book. The Chimney Scanning & Inspection Guide.
Within this book is a brief outline:

• Where to start – Use IRC, NFPA 211, local codes, or the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
• Where to put drop cloths and prepare the area for the inspection
• How does scanning chimneys fit within the Levels of Inspection (NFPA 211)? Where do the Levels of Accessibility fit into all this?
• How do structure integrity and flue condition compare to what is the ideal chimney in the code books?
• What is happening within the flue and the chimney?
• What is the probable cause of the defect or symptom, along with an explanation?

Operating a chimney camera using the proper techniques and observation skills should produce more answers regarding the flue’s condition rather than presenting more questions. Since there are many types of installation, we segmented this book into modules to provide a step-by-step approach to chimney scanning by chimney type. The modules include:
​
• Scanning a Masonry Chimney and Fireplace
• Scanning a  Masonry Chimney and Fireplace with an Appliance (Hearth Stove & Insert)
• Scanning a Masonry Thimble Chimney Serving an Appliance(s) (Solid Fuel or Liquid Fuel(s)
• Scanning a Prefab Chimney and Fireplace
• Scanning a Prefab Chimney Serving an Appliance (Solid Fuel or Liquid Fuel(s)

Each installation type offers its unique challenges. We detail the differences between types of installations, including conditions to be alert for and the typical defects for each. The training modules listed above tell you the best access points and offer a step-by-step assessment process for home protection, defect diagnosis, and cleanup. If you would like more information about our books, click here. Otherwise, continue reading our blogs to learn about your interests.

Becoming a Chim-Scan® Factory-Trained Technician is a unique factory training program. It starts with our Chimney Scanning and inspection Guide. You can take the test once you feel confident that you know the information. You will receive a patch, certificate, and the Chim-Scan® Factory-Trained designation upon passing. 
 There are many benefits of becoming a Chim-Scan® Factory Trained Technician: 
• You may be able to get lower insurance coverage rates. Ask your agent about this.
• You receive a certificate, a patch, and the number upon passing. 
• You receive a copy of our Chim-Scan® Technician Logo for advertising. 
• This book is packed with great information: 

•  There are over 400 pictures in the book.
• The book explains Levels of Inspection and Access Points
• When to refer to IRC and NFPA 211
• Angles of imagery
• Probable cause
• The Four Pathways
• Five modules featuring multiple installation types

1. Masonry fireplace
2. Masonry fireplace with an appliance - insert or hearth stove
3. Masonry thimble chimney with a solid or liquid fuel appliance(s)
4. Prefab fireplace & chimney
5. Prefab chimney with a solid fuel or liquid fuel appliance(s)

The open-book multiple-choice test is based on this guide, the Chim-Scan® Manual, and knowledge of the Chim-Scan® System. Each question is worth one point. Since this is an open-book test, 85% of correct answers are passing scores. 
You can take the test online. Once you finish the test (100 questions) and press the Submit Button, you will receive your pass/fail at that time. Your Certificate of Completion is ready to print directly off the site. You can take it up to two times before you incur an additional charge. 
Here is the breakdown of the test and manual cost: 
The training Manual is $200 in print form, including the test for one person (there is a retest fee if the test needs retaking more than twice). If you order your book(s) before 1/31/2025, you will only pay ($87 + $15.50 shipping.) 
For each test, it is only $50 for each individual from the same company. For information on taking the 
test, scan the QR code below, visit our website at www.chimscanfactorytraining.com, or give us a call to order at 641-472-7643. 

Terra cotta flue tiles have been used for almost a century as an accepted liner for masonry chimneys. A brand-new flue may look like the photo shown on the right. The tile is new; it should not be broken (or, in this case, have a cutout view). 
 As the chimney is being built, flue tiles stack on each other and are mortared together with a joint. In the past, masons often used mortar such as type "S" or type "N" mortar, the same mortar they used to lay the brickwork. These mortars can erode, leading to open mortar joints and shifting flue tiles. Today, codes require a non-water-soluble refractory cement that withstands the onslaught of moisture. This creates longevity for your masonry flue. 
Equally important is a smooth interior mortar joint (specified by codes). The picture on the right is an example of a brand-new ideal joint. Mortar that protrudes into the flue can hinder flue gases and smoke. This may affect the way the fireplace burns. A smooth joint is an optimal joint.
Many other types of damage can happen to a masonry flue. To ensure your flue is in an operational-ready condition, ask the chimney sweep to continuously scan your chimney with a Chim-Scan® Internal Video Inspection System each year your chimney is cleaned.  Catching defects early and making repairs can preserve your investment in your fireplace, chimney, and home. 
#chimney inspection, #chimney camera, #chimney flue, #scanning chimney

​When scanning chimney interiors with a Chim-Scan® interior chimney inspection camera, you need to know the ideal installation practices according to the building codes. What you will see in the field is probably different from the descriptions and illustrations in your code book. There are differences!
When you scan a chimney, what you are looking at must be verifiable. The chimney and installation either match the ideal chimney in the code book or doesn’t. Your opinion in the documentation can be referenced by the guidelines set forth: local building codes, inspection guidelines outlined in NFPA 211 (2024), Chapters 14 (Maintenance) and Chapter 15 (Inspection of Existing Chimneys), the Annex (Explanatory Material), and the INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE (IRC), especially chapters 10, 13, 14, 18, and 24, which are of great benefit.
The International Residential Code (IRC) focuses on the site-built construction of masonry products and the installation of prefabricated products such as chimney liners or chimney and fireplace systems. IRC does not include specifications for inspecting existing installations unless they are new or were built during a previously published IRC Book.
Chimney inspection procedures and Inspection Items are outlined in the NFPA 211 Standard, Chapters 14, 15, and the Annex. These criteria cover when to do the inspection and the Scope of the Levels of Inspection (next page). It also includes items to inspect, listed as examples in the Annex.
It is essential to be familiar with the IRC, to reference what materials to use, how to install them, and the conditions to which chimneys, fireplaces, and vents are to be built. The NFPA 211 Standard tells you when and to what depth the levels of inspection are and the circumstances to use them. Understanding this is the place to verify correct construction is the starting point of scanning.
This is an excerpt taken from the book Chimney Scanning & Inspection Guide, Phase 1, for the Chim-Scan Factory Trained Technician.

​©2024 Estoban Corporation LLC. 

Tom and Esther Urban founded a chimney-sweeping business in 1978 after they served in the Peace Corps. When they got out, it was during the oil crisis. Homeowners were installing woodstoves in old chimneys or installing them with new chimneys. Creosote rapidly built up, and chimney fires started to erupt all over the country. It was a great time to start a chimney-sweeping business, and that’s just what they did. Tom partnered with an insurance adjuster on some of his calls. It always bothered Tom and Esther that they could never obtain a clear view of what was in the flue. At this time, no chimney cameras were available to scan the flue. Tom saw the need for one and researched what it would take to build one. The search would take him to Cornell University, Ithaca, in New York State.
Tom and Esther traveled on Sunday afternoons to Cornell University to search the library’s optics section of the Thomas Registers. There were about twenty 3-inch-thick books listing almost every manufacturer in the U.S. and what they manufactured. They spent many hours copying information about everything they could foresee needing for Tom’s design. Tom then attended a security convention in New York City. After a year of research and work, he took his first camera to the 1984 National Chimney Sweep Guild Convention in Washington, DC, and the first chimney camera – the Chim-Scan®- was born. It was pronounced a “Showstopper” by CNN News Channel. However, it took years before America’s Sweeps adopted and used this critical tool.
Today, forty years later, in 2024, it’s hard to fathom a time when there was no available technology. Imagine what it would be like if the internet disappeared today. That’s what Tom Urban faced when he started researching parts to create a camera capable of being lowered into the chimney and taking a picture from several feet away.  
Eventually, sweeps started to catch on to the need for scanning chimneys. When they needed to prove there was damage to a chimney and could back it up with pictures, the insurance adjuster was more likely to approve a chimney fire claim. Over the years, many companies have sold “chimney cameras,” some of which are decent quality, some modified baby monitors, and some are lightweight consumer-grade camera systems from China or another location. But 40 years later, Chim-Scan® Cameras are still churned out from their manufacturing facility in Iowa, right in the Heartland. Unlike some other chimney camera companies, Chim-Scan® Cameras can still be repaired unless they are too old, and the parts are no longer available. Someday, when Tom and Esther decide to retire or spend time chiseling away at their bucket list, their daughter Shelley is poised to step up as President to run the Estoban Corporation, manufacturer of Chim-Scan® Cameras, the true original commercial-grade chimney sweeping camera. 

​©2024 Estoban Corporation LLC. 

​©2024 Estoban Corporation LLC.