CSIA certified chimney inspection for Wade Hampton homes built in the 1960s through the 1980s. Many chimneys in this corridor served two appliances — a fireplace on one flue and an oil furnace on a second flue. When those furnaces were replaced with gas in the 1970s or 1980s, the furnace flue was often abandoned with a temporary plug rather than properly sealed. Inspection locates and documents every opening in the chimney system.
A Wade Hampton chimney built in 1965 has lived through at least three distinct heating eras. Each transition left physical evidence in the chimney — some of which needs assessment today. Inspection traces each era's impact on the current flue system.
Original construction included both appliances. A second flue or thimble opening served the oil furnace. The liner was exposed to oil combustion byproducts and carbon soot.
Oil furnace removed or replaced with gas. The furnace thimble was plugged — often with a metal cover or mortar — without professional sealing. The abandoned flue liner was left in place.
The active fireplace flue may be in good condition — or it may share a chimney structure with a compromised, open, or partially blocked abandoned flue. The two must be assessed independently.
The abandoned furnace flue is typically not accessible from below after the thimble is sealed. Level 2 camera inspection descends from the chimney top and documents the full length of both the active and abandoned flues — confirming liner integrity, identifying blockages, and verifying that the seal at the thimble opening is still in place and not cracked.
If inspection finds the abandoned furnace flue has an unsealed or failed thimble, a failed top cap, or internal blockage from debris, the appropriate resolution is permanent sealing — not just replacing the temporary cover. Written findings document the current condition and what level of sealing is needed, so the homeowner has a clear picture before any work is authorized.