milesj70•1mo agoProlific Poster

A change in how I check for hidden cracks in flue tiles

For a long time, I just used a bright flashlight and looked straight up. About eight months ago on a job in Tacoma, I missed a hairline crack in the back of a clay liner that a home inspector later found. Now I always use a mirror on an extension pole, or a cheap inspection camera from Harbor Freight, to slowly turn and check all four sides of every tile. The old way just doesn't catch everything, especially in older chimneys. Has anyone else switched up their inspection method after a close call?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_dixon1mo ago

Did a buddy's missed crack lead to a costly repair later?

anna_fox71mo ago

Ugh, yes! My neighbor ignored a hairline crack in his foundation for a year, @blair_dixon. He thought it was just the paint. By the time water started seeping in, he needed a full interior drain tile system. That small skip turned into a fifteen thousand dollar fix. I caught a similar crack early and just used epoxy injection myself. Cost me maybe two hundred bucks and an afternoon. Definitely don't wait on those things.

theasmith28d ago

Funny enough, I used to think a little crack was no big deal too, @anna_fox7, but stories like your neighbor's completely changed my mind on that.