Buying & Selling

Mt Freedom Chimney is a small, service-focused company, and large repair projects aren't taken on. Since the purpose of an inspection is to assign a dollar amount towards necessary repairs and to aid in negotiating a credit amongst the buying and selling parties, it would be disingenuous of me to sell an appointment, knowing I'm unable to provide itemized repair estimates. Furthermore, company policy states services are offered only to the legal homeowner (sellers), and potential buyers must have already closed on their new home before being eligible as a client. It is recommended for parties seeking to purchase a house to consult with a larger, repair-based chimney company for repair estimates.

It is recommended for parties seeking to sell a house to label solid-fuel appliances (wood, coal, pellet) "as-is" in their home's listing. New Jersey recognizes class-2 diesel (oil), natural gas (NG), propane (LP), and electric as main home-heating applications and sources. Solid-fuel applications are categorized as supplemental or luxury appliances.

It's common practice for licensed chimney professionals to cite chapter and paragraph for building code deficiencies and violations. Observable building code violations will be documented and disclosed. This is to transfer liability to the home owner if the appliance is continually used post-servicing and inspection. Asking me to omit such findings or supplementary service and repair recommendations is unethical. Asking me to remit a second invoice stating only chimney sweeping was performed will not be humored.

If you're selling your house, I will definitely NOT humor the request of omitting defects and violations. The sale of your house will not be more easily facilitated at the expense of my company's liability. I take these requests as a great insult as it shows a complete lack of value in my work and my good standing. If you feel I'm not the right fit for your chimney service needs based on the above-mentioned, you're not the right fit for me as a customer.

Interpreted under R1003.1, painting a masonry chimney's exterior surface is one of the worst things a home owner can have done. All masonry is porous, and will absorb water and precipitation. This is especially important when located in the northeast, as there's no short supply of rainy springs, summer humidity, autumn hurricanes, and snowy winters. Paint acts as a sealant, and painted masonry will lose its ability to breathe when warm-weather temperatures would normally allow for the evaporation of internal moisture.

Additionally, the chemical process of combustion yields water and condensation within the exhaust mixture (especially for gas applications). Some fuel types have either a high or low condensation content; gas applications have the highest. When an adequate volume of trapped, internal moisture isn't able to breathe and evaporate, the chimney structure will undergo freeze-thaw damage over the winter into the spring. This may occur over just one year, but most times will take several years.

Aside from the unsightly polka-dot aesthetic, this will also compromise the chimney's structural integrity, and most times the corrective repair is a roofline-up or ground-up (and costly) rebuild. It is always recommended to have a painted chimney's surface sandblasted to remove paint.

Install Violations

Chimney sweeping is retracted, and an invoice with a service charge for an inspection will be remitted for the below examples stating the application is "unsuitable for use due to violations under ICC-IRC building code / NFPA standards and regulations / UL testing and compliance, and that continued usage may result in property damage or injury; and appliance usage should cease immediately until necessary repairs are completed." Liability for continued usage of such an application is transferred to the homeowner/property owner once full disclosure has been provided.