Almost missed a huge crack because I was rushing the visual check

I was finishing a sweep on a house in Springfield and did my usual quick look up the flue with a mirror. The owner mentioned a slight draft smell, but I figured it was just the damper. Something made me grab the camera instead, and I found a 2-inch vertical crack in the clay liner, about 8 feet up. My mirror had missed it completely because of the angle and soot shadow. I've been doing the mirror check for a decade, but that camera showed me I was being lazy. How many of you have caught a big flaw only because you switched up your method?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa_hart261mo ago

Mirrors can trick you for sure! I found a separated joint in a chimney last month that my mirror made look like a clean shadow line. Only saw the gap when I used a bright LED drop light on a pole. It's scary how a routine check can miss something major.

emery_miller201mo ago

Mirrors are fine if you know their limits.

wade_perez1mo ago

Ever have a buddy get burned by a quick check? My friend skipped a real inspection on a flue, just did the mirror thing. Cost him a huge repair later, totally like what @lisa_hart26 said about shadows hiding stuff.