Chimney Inspection: Chimney Removed Above Roof Line With 2 Active Fireplaces
This chimney inspection was quite a surprise! When inspecting a large, high-end home in Omaha, I couldn’t believe what I found while traversing the attic. The chimney had been removed above the roof line to make the home have straighter visual lines according to the relative. They had hired a Roofing Contractor to frame over the chimney opening, sheathed it, and installed shingles. When operating the fireplaces, I was told that they worked great and that the Homeowner had used the one in the Master Bedroom on a regular basis. During my chimney inspection, I turned on both fireplaces, checked them for carbon monoxide, and turned them back off. They seemed to operate fine. Not seeing the chimney when I inspected the exterior, I started to scratch my head. I hadn’t spoke with the relative at this point yet. As I explored the massive & complex attic, I finally made it over top of the master bedroom to find the dismantled chimney along with a blackened roof deck and rafters! The Homeowner had been using the fireplace in the Master Bedroom after the chimney had been partially removed and roofed over! In the midst of different Contractors doing work on the house, communications were lost and the 2 fireplaces weren’t made inactive.