Fall Home Maintenance for First-Time Homeowners: A Minnesota Checklist
Your first fall as a homeowner comes with more than changing leaves and cooler evenings. You are also learning how your house handles rain, freezing temperatures, and the start of heating season. The good news? You do not need to tackle everything in one weekend. Start with the...
Questions to Ask After Your Level 2 Chimney Inspection
A Level 2 chimney inspection report can contain photos, camera images, notes about accessible areas, and recommendations. Whether it identifies a concern or documents have no visible deficiency, a few questions can help you understand what was actually examined and what to do next. Here are eight useful...
What Happens When a Level 2 Chimney Inspection Finds a Concern?
You scheduled a Level 2 chimney inspection and the report mentions a cracked liner, water staining, deposits, or an area the camera could not reach. What happens next? The finding gives you information about a specific visible condition. It does not automatically mean the chimney needs to be...
Common Chimney Problems Found in Minnesota Homes
A chimney has to manage heat, combustion byproducts, rain, snow, and changing temperatures. In Minnesota, those conditions can leave clues both outside the house and inside the flue. Some are easy to spot from the yard; others may only become visible during a closer inspection. Here are several...
Buying a Home With a Fireplace? Check the Chimney Before Closing
A fireplace can make a Twin Cities home feel especially inviting during a Minnesota winter. If you plan to use it, take time during the buying process to learn about the entire fireplace and chimney system not just the firebox you can see from the living room. Here...
Does a Home Inspection Include a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?
If you are buying a home with a fireplace, you may wonder whether your general home inspection covers the chimney. It provides an important look at visible, readily accessible conditions, but a standard home inspection and a Level 2 chimney inspection have different scopes. Understanding that difference can...
Does a Home Inspection Include a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?
If you are buying a home with a fireplace, you may wonder whether your general home inspection covers the chimney. It provides an important look at visible, readily accessible conditions, but a standard home inspection and a Level 2 chimney inspection have different scopes. Understanding that difference can...
When Should You Get a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?
A fireplace may look fine from the living room, but the visible firebox tells only part of the story. The chimney and flue can have conditions that are difficult to evaluate without a closer look. If you are buying a home, changing a heating appliance, or responding to...
What Is a Level 2 Chimney Inspection?
A fireplace can add warmth, comfort, and character to a home but much of the chimney system cannot be evaluated from the fireplace opening or the ground outside. A Level 2 chimney inspection provides a more detailed evaluation of the accessible chimney system. It includes an interior video...
Questions to Ask After a Sewer Scope Finds a Problem
Questions to Ask After a Sewer Scope Reveals a Concern A sewer scope has revealed roots, standing water, an offset connection, deterioration, debris, a damaged section, or another unexpected condition. What should the buyer do next? The first step is not to assume the worst. A sewer-scope finding...
Should Sellers Get a Sewer Scope Before Listing?
Sewer Scope Inspections for Home Sellers: Should You Inspect Before Listing? Most conversations about sewer scopes focus on homebuyers. Buyers want information about the underground sewer service line before they take ownership of the property. Sellers may benefit from understanding that line too. A pre-listing sewer scope uses...
What If a Sewer Scope Cannot Be Completed?
What Happens When the Sewer Camera Cannot Reach the End of the Line? A homebuyer schedules a sewer scope expecting the camera to travel from the house to the municipal sewer connection. Sometimes it does. Sometimes a physical condition, limited access, or poor visibility prevents the inspector from...