A Burning Debate on Chimneys : It’s Difficult to Get Easy Answers About the Hidden Damage

It’s the simple math of quake-damaged chimney repairs that opens the door to possible fraud, or at least simple mistakes.

A chimney that needs some minor repairs could cost only a few hundred dollars, but if that same chimney is deemed structurally damaged and must be rebuilt from scratch, it could cost $6,000 or more. Given the high cost and the fact that insurance companies, homeowners andchimney inspectors might have different opinions over the same “damaged” chimney, you confront the likelihood of conflicting opinions.

Consider one family in Woodland Hills. Their home suffered major damage from the Northridge quake and, early on, a masonry company representative examined their chimney and said that, with the exception of a couple of loose bricks at the top, everything was fine. That repair was made for $200.

Months passed. Then, after seeing so many neighbors forced to tear down their chimneys, the worried family hired another inspector to take a look. He did a smoke test in the chimney, blocking off both ends, and eventually a small haze seeped into the living room. His verdict: The chimney was badly cracked and needed to be rebuilt from scratch. The cost? $8,000.

So the family brought back the first mason who had checked the chimney months before. This time the mason, at their insistence, did an even more elaborate inspection with a special video camera (cost $250) and came up with the same verdict as last spring: Your chimney is fine, leave it alone. So they are.

Indeed, insurance companies are often confused by chimney damage. Some are still sorting out the chimneys for which they’ll pay merely to repair (versus replace), said Tom Cordova, spokesman for State Farm Insurance Cos. in Westlake Village. “After the earthquake we were replacing some chimneys that could be repaired,” he said. “Now we have learned more.”

In some cases where repair is possible, though, State Farm will pay for replacement as a way to avoid future losses from another quake, Cordova said.

As insurance companies pay out more claims, Cordova said, it’s becoming easier to spot overpriced bids. Most chimney replacement bids, however, are staying within the range of $6,000 to $8,000, he said.

Because of changes this fall in the Los Angeles building and safety requirements, most of the chimneys in the San Fernando Valley are being rebuilt with metal framing and a metal flue (instead of the old brick- or clay-interior chimneys), King said. A homeowner who wants a brick or a clay structure needs to file special plans with the city, drafted by a civil or structural engineer. None are needed for a metal-framed chimney that merely gets a brick veneer. Wood-framed, versus metal-framed, chimneys are allowed by the city only for chimneys built from the ground up.

Clearly, it’s best to get several opinions before doing any work.

There are basically three methods for inspecting a chimney, explained Mark Lichterman, owner of the Flue Bug Chimney Sweep in Woodland Hills:

* Visual inspections involve looking at the so-called interior firebox and searching for any cracks or seams between it and the back wall of the fireplace. Outside, a visual inspection should include a look for any breaks between the side wall and the back wall of the chimney and for any cracks in masonry or mortar. Horizontal cracks are generally more ominous than vertical cracks because of the chimney’s weight distribution, Lichterman said. Finally, look for proper flashing between the chimney and roof. Lichterman said he charges about $40 to $60 for a visual inspection.

* Smoke inspections are done by sealing the top of the chimney and the firebox opening with tape and plastic. A pallet is then ignited to create smoke. If any of it leaks, you could have significant cracks somewhere in your chimney. Odor is also added to the smoke so that seepage is easier to detect. Another problem with this test is that, done on a cold day, certain cracks may have contracted and the test will show no problems. Expect to pay between $150 and $250 for the smoke inspection.

* Video inspections are the newest way to check a chimney. Basically, a chimney inspector places a video camera down your chimney and looks for cracks or other irregularities. Some claim this is the best method by far, and a few insurance companies are requiring video tests before paying on a claim. There are others who remain unconvinced about the video test, especially for brick-interior chimneys where harmless water damage may appear on the video to be serious earthquake damage. The cost of the inspection is about $150 to $250. It is also advisable to clean your chimney before a video inspection. This adds another $75 to $150 to the bill.

Improper inspections can lead homeowners to tear down chimneys that could have been saved, Lichterman charged.

“I have seen a lot of chimneys condemned, and I don’t know for the life of me why,” he said. “There are millions of dollars being spent needlessly.”

Lichterman advises homeowners to get several opinions before tearing down a chimney. He said it’s best, too, to retain an inspector who does not also do repair and replacement work. Otherwise, he said, there is a possible conflict of interest.

Russell Gardner, president of Fiddler on the Roof Chimney Service in Canoga Park, doesn’t agree with Lichterman. “The people who really know fireplaces are the people who also do repair,” he said. “Someone who does only inspections doesn’t have a vested interest, but he does not have the same experience as someone who does repairs and replacements.”

Gardner does inspections, repairs and replacements and notes that people are now taking their time and getting multiple estimates.

“It’s not a panic situation that existed after the earthquake,” he said.

But homeowners can expect to pay a bit more than they would have a year ago, Gardner conceded. He has a 10-week backlog of work and is charging an average of $500 more for his major jobs. Rebuilding a chimney ranges from $3,000 to $10,000, he said, depending on the size of the project. Affixing a new metal-framed chimney and metal flue to the top of an existing firebox averages about $5,000, he said.

There is also the complexity of meeting the requirements of the city of Los Angeles. A building permit is required for chimney repair work with a valuation of $201 or more, and several inspections may be needed, said Bill King, chief building inspector for the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety in Van Nuys.

Some homeowners are opting for an initial inspection by the department to determine what kind of damage the chimney may have sustained from the January earthquake. King recommends, however, that property owners pay for a more thorough private inspection.

When work actually commences on rebuilding a chimney, King said, there needs to be an initial inspection of any transitions between the old firebox and the new chimney structure. Then there needs to be a second framing inspection. If the chimney is being stuccoed, there needs to be a third lathing inspection of the paper and chicken wire around the framing. Then there is a final inspection.

For a long while, many chimney repair jobs were being delayed by a long wait for multiple inspections. “We weren’t doing that well,” King admitted. Now, his department has hired another 35 inspectors who are working evenings and Saturdays. Close to 95% of inspections are being made within 24 hours of a phone call, he said.

Figuring whom to hire for your chimney repair work isn’t easy either.

Some companies say they are licensed, but that often means only that they have a city business license, said Andrew Davidson, owner of Davidson’s Chimney Sweep in Oxnard. Some contractors claim to be insured, he said, but what they really mean is that they are insured through the homeowner’s insurance policy. Some ads tout being certified. This usually--but not always--means that the repair person is certified by the National Chimney Sweep Guild after taking a two-day course.

“Don’t look for the cheapest price,” Davidson advised, and ask lots of questions.