Chimney Inspections in Kalispell, MT

The insert problem, and why it moves purchase prices

The most common serious finding in Kalispell is an appliance-liner mismatch. A great many mid-century houses here had a wood-burning insert fitted into an existing masonry fireplace at some point between 1975 and 1995. Done correctly, that installation included a properly sized stainless liner running the full height of the chimney. Done cheaply, it did not - the insert simply vents into the original oversized flue.

That configuration is both a performance problem and a safety one, and correcting it means a full reline. It is not a small number. It is also completely invisible without a camera, which is why it tends to surface during a sale rather than during ownership, and why a buyer who commissions a Level 2 has materially better information than one who relies on the general home inspection.