Free written estimate before any work begins
Chimney Inspection in San Carlos, CA
Level 1 and Level 2 inspections to CSIA standard, with camera footage and a written report you can hand to an agent or an insurer.
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Chimney Inspection for San Carlos homes
San Carlos divides sharply at El Camino, and so does the work. West of it, the streets climbing toward Crestview and Devonshire hold 1920s through 1940s homes on sloping lots, many with original brick chimneys and the tall exterior stacks that hillside building produces. East toward Sterling Downs and the flat land the housing is later and lighter, mostly post-war, with simpler fireboxes and shorter flues. The White Oaks and Howard Park neighborhoods sit between the two and carry a mix of both. What ties the city together for us is age: a great many San Carlos chimneys are now at the point where the original mortar has reached the end of its working life, and repointing scheduled now is the difference between maintenance and rebuilding.
Split between older hillside housing west of El Camino with tall exterior masonry stacks, and lighter post-war construction on the flat east side. Much of the original mortar is now at the end of its service life, making repointing the most common recommendation before damage moves into the brick itself.
Included in every job
- You see what we see
- Written and defensible
- Escrow deadlines met
- Repairs quoted, not guessed
Warning signs
When San Carlos homes need this service
- You are buying or selling a house with a fireplace
- The chimney has been through an earthquake or a heavy storm
- There has been a chimney fire, even a small one
- You are switching fuels or fitting a new stove or insert
- The fireplace has been unused for several years
- You can see cracks, missing mortar or a leaning stack from outside
- Water is getting in, or there are damp patches on the wall around the chimney
Chimney Inspection in San Carlos
Call (209) 447-0752 for same-week availability.
Process
How the visit works
Confirm the right level
Level 1 for an annual check on a system in continued service. Level 2 for a sale, a fuel change, or after an event that could have damaged the flue.
Inspect the readily accessible
Firebox, damper, smoke chamber, hearth, the visible exterior structure and the clearances to combustible material.
Camera the full flue
A camera run of the whole liner, which is what turns a Level 1 into a Level 2 and what finds cracked tiles and open joints.
Check the exterior and roof
Crown, cap, flashing, mortar joints and the condition of the stack above the roofline.
Deliver the report
Findings, photographs, the standard applied and a clear statement of what is safe to use and what is not.
Questions
FAQs
How do I know if repointing is urgent?
Scrape a joint with a key. If mortar comes away as sand, or you are finding crumbs at the base of the stack, it is time. In San Carlos we see a lot of chimneys caught right at that point, where pointing still solves it and waiting another few winters would not.
Do you work on the hillside houses above Crestview?
Yes. Sloping lots and tall exterior stacks are normal there and we plan the access when we quote rather than on the day.
What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2?
Level 1 covers the readily accessible parts of a system that is in continued service with no changes. Level 2 adds a camera scan of the full flue and is the standard required when a property is sold, when the fuel or appliance changes, or after an event such as an earthquake or a chimney fire.
I am selling my house and the buyer wants a chimney report.
That is a Level 2 inspection. We schedule around the escrow date, run the camera through the whole flue and send a written report with photographs, usually the same or next day.
Contact Alpine Chimney
Alpine Chimney Company
1080 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
(209) 447-0752
info@alpinechimneycompany.com
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Fast response. No obligation.