What the camera actually reveals
- Cracked or spalled flue tiles and separated mortar joints — the classic hidden hazard, because a single cracked tile can let heat or gases into the chimney chase.
- Blockages: animal nests, leaves, fallen tile shards, or a collapsed section restricting the flue.
- Creosote stage and coverage — how much is up there, and whether it’s the flaky kind or the glazed kind that a brush won’t remove.
- Liner condition in a metal-lined or relined chimney: gaps, corrosion, or a liner that’s pulled apart at a seam.
Why you can’t get this information any other way
A flue can look perfect at both ends and be compromised in the middle. The firebox view stops at the smoke chamber; the rooftop view stops at the top few feet. The stretch in between — usually the part that runs through the house — is exactly where a hidden crack does the most damage, and it’s the part only a camera sees.
This is why we lean on the camera before recommending significant work. If someone tells you a flue “needs relining” without showing you why, ask to see the footage. And if a cleaning turns up glazing or a suspicious tile, the camera is how we decide whether it’s a cleaning problem or a relining one.
When a camera scan is the right call
It fits when you need a definite answer about the flue’s interior: after a suspected chimney fire, when there’s a persistent leak or odor you can’t source, before relining, as part of a home purchase, or when a previous inspector said “I couldn’t see past a certain point.” It’s also reassuring on an older masonry chimney that’s never been scanned — a lot of South Florida homes have flues no one has ever actually looked inside.
Honest limits of a video scan
A camera sees surfaces, not what’s behind them. It shows a cracked tile but can’t, by itself, prove whether gases have already reached the framing — that may take opening an access point, which is a Level 3 step. It also needs a reasonably clear flue to travel; a chimney packed with debris or heavy glaze sometimes has to be cleaned before the camera can give a clean read. We’ll tell you when that’s the case rather than forcing a blurry scan and calling it conclusive.
Questions people ask us
Can you inspect the flue with a camera if it’s dirty?
Lightly, sometimes — but heavy soot, glaze or a blockage will obscure the view. Often the honest sequence is to clean first, then scan, so the footage actually shows the liner rather than a coating of creosote. We’ll tell you if a cleaning needs to come first.
Will a camera tell me if I need a new liner?
It’s the best starting point — it shows cracks, gaps and corrosion clearly. Whether that means a repair or a full reline depends on the extent, and we’ll walk you through the footage so the recommendation isn’t a mystery.
Is a standalone camera scan the same as a Level 2 inspection?
Not quite. The scan is the centerpiece of a Level 2, but a full Level 2 also checks the accessible concealed areas and overall structure. For a home sale or post-storm check, get the full Level 2; for a single targeted question about the flue, a standalone scan may be enough.