Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Inspection Across North Decatur
A chimney inspection in North Decatur typically runs $189 – $349 depending on the level, and most appointments are booked within three to five business days. Call (678) 263-7908 for a written quote before any work starts.
Ashby Chimney Atlanta has worked on 1950s – 1970s ranch and split-level homes throughout North Decatur long enough to know exactly what those original masonry fireplaces do over time. Clay tile flue liners crack, shallow smoke shelves clog, and uncapped flues pull in enough Georgia humidity to spall brick face. Nathan Corliss and our crew do not upsell. We run a camera up the flue, show you the footage on screen, and put every recommendation in writing. If it does not need fixing, we say so. When it does, you see why before you spend a dollar.
Why Ashby Chimney Atlanta Is North Decatur’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
North Decatur homeowners call us because the alternative has burned them before. A technician who never showed. A price that doubled at the door. A liner that cracked again six weeks after it was “fixed.” We work differently. Since 2002, Ashby Chimney Atlanta has operated under the Kingswell Guarantee: a written price before work begins, a written guarantee on every repair, and a free return visit if a covered repair fails inside the guarantee period. That is not a sales pitch. It is the way we have always run jobs, from Medlock to Leafmore to the streets off North Druid Hills Road.
Our inspectors are background-checked and uniformed. You know who is walking into your house. Scheduling is coordinated from our Atlanta office, and crews serve North Decatur directly, so we know the local housing stock without a learning curve. When you call, a live person answers. 24/7. No voicemail loops, no callback forms.
Styles & brands we work with
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in North Decatur
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection in North Decatur runs $249 – $349 and is the standard for older masonry chimneys, real estate transactions, or any home where something has changed since the last check. It includes everything in a visual Level 1, plus camera work through the flue interior and an assessment of accessible attic, crawlspace, and exterior chimney surfaces. For North Decatur homes built in the 1950s through 1970s, this is the inspection that actually tells you whether your original clay tile liner is cracked, spalled, or ready to fail.
We recommend a Level 2 whenever you buy or sell a house in North Decatur, after any chimney fire or storm event, or if you have lived in the home for several years and have never had the flue camera-scoped. A visual check from the firebox tells you almost nothing about what is happening 15 feet up.
Camera Inspection
The camera is the difference between a guess and a diagnosis. We run a high-resolution scope up the flue and record the entire length, then walk you through what we found on screen. Cracked tiles, deteriorated mortar joints, third-degree creosote glaze, hidden animal nests. You see exactly what we see, and you get a written summary with photos or stills. Nothing gets recommended without evidence you have personally viewed.
Flue Inspection
In North Decatur’s older chimneys, the flue is almost always the weak point. Original clay tile liners from the 1950s and 1960s crack under decades of thermal expansion and contraction, and once a liner cracks, combustion gases can reach the surrounding masonry. Our flue inspection covers the entire liner surface, the smoke shelf, the damper seat, and the flue cap condition. When we find a problem, we show you the footage and lay out your options, including repair, resurfacing, or replacement.
Chimney Leak in North Decatur
A Chimney Leak in North Decatur typically costs $189 – $425 to diagnose and repair, depending on whether it is a crown issue, flashing failure, or water coming straight down an uncapped flue. Our hot, humid summers and the hard freezes we get in January and February put real stress on chimney masonry, and spring storms drive water into any gap that has opened up. By the time a homeowner notices a water stain on the ceiling near the fireplace, water has usually been working on that chimney for months.
We do not guess at the source. Our leak inspection includes a camera pass through the flue, a close look at the crown and flashing, and a moisture check on the surrounding masonry. When we find the entry point, we show it to you before quoting a repair. Sometimes the fix is a new cap and a crown patch. Sometimes it is flashing that was installed wrong in the first place. Either way, you get a written price and a written guarantee.
Crown and Flashing Assessment
Chimney crowns in North Decatur take a beating from our freeze-thaw cycles. A hairline crack opens, water gets in, the next freeze widens it, and within a few seasons the crown is crumbling. Flashing is just as common a culprit, especially where a chimney meets a roof on a split-level, where the angles make a clean flashing job harder. We inspect both closely and show you photos of any failure before recommending work.
Water Intrusion from Uncapped Flues
A surprising number of North Decatur homes have no chimney cap at all, or a cap that rusted out years ago. Rain goes straight down the flue, mixes with creosote, and creates an acidic slurry that eats mortar joints from the inside. The damage is invisible until it is expensive. A cap is a small, straightforward fix that prevents most of it.
Trusted Brands We Service in North Decatur
When repairs are needed, we work with materials we are willing to put our name behind. HeatShield resurfacing systems handle cracked and spalled flue liners without the cost of a full reline. DuraFlex liners give you a durable stainless steel option sized correctly for your existing masonry. Gelco and Olympia Chimney parts cover caps, dampers, and other components that fail on older North Decatur chimneys. Because our crews carry parts for these systems on the truck, many repairs are completed in a single visit, which matters when you need your fireplace back in service.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Inspection Problems We See in North Decatur Homes
- Spalled clay tile liners in 1950s – 1970s construction. The original liners in North Decatur’s ranch and split-level homes are now 50 to 70 years old. Thermal stress from our freeze-thaw cycles has cracked or flaked many of them, and a camera inspection is the only reliable way to see it.
- Shallow smoke shelves in Medlock and Leafmore homes. A common builder-era design in these neighborhoods, shallow shelves clog with creosote faster than modern construction. Draft problems and smoke backup are often the first sign, but by then the creosote may already be at second or third degree.
- Missing or rusted chimney caps. North Decatur’s humid climate accelerates rust, and uncapped flues pull in rain, leaves, birds, and rodents. Most water damage we trace starts at the top of the chimney.
- Appliances vented into original masonry without proper liners. Furnaces and water heaters were often vented into chimneys never designed for that purpose. Without a proper liner, flue gas condensation attacks the mortar from the inside, and leaks can be invisible for years.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in North Decatur, GA
A standard visual inspection in North Decatur runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 inspection with full camera verification runs $249 – $349, and a Level 3 inspection for concealed damage runs $500 and up depending on what needs to be opened up. If an inspection finds repair work, we quote that separately in writing, and you approve it before anything else happens. The number we write on the estimate is the number on the invoice. Estimates are free, and there is never a pressure to book a repair the same day. Call (678) 263-7908 and tell us what you are seeing. We will give you a straight answer.
We Also Serve Cities Near North Decatur
In addition to Chimney Inspection in North Decatur, our crews regularly work in Atlanta, Dunwoody, North Atlanta, and East Point. If you are just outside North Decatur, give us a call and we will let you know if we cover your street. The local angle matters, and our Chimney Inspection team knows these neighborhoods well.
Serving North Decatur, GA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the North Decatur area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Inspection in North Decatur
Once a year, every year. Chimneys this age have original clay tile flues that are past their intended service life, and North Decatur’s freeze-thaw cycles and humid summers accelerate masonry deterioration. The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual inspection regardless of how often you burn. If you have not had the flue camera-scoped in several years, start with a Level 2 inspection to get a baseline. Call (678) 263-7908 to book, and we will give you the written price before we arrive.
Because the crown has cracked, and water has been getting in for longer than you think. When we get a hard freeze after a wet spell, water inside small cracks expands and widens those cracks. Each cycle makes it a little worse until the freeze finally opens a path big enough for rain to get through visibly. We trace the leak with a camera and moisture checks, show you the entry point, and quote the fix in writing. No guesswork and no upselling. Call (678) 263-7908 for a leak inspection.
You can, but the firebox tells you almost nothing about the condition of the flue 15 feet up. In North Decatur homes with original clay tile liners, the flue is where the damage hides until it becomes dangerous. A camera inspection catches cracked tiles, deteriorated mortar, and third-degree creosote before smoke backs up or a chimney fire starts. It costs $249 – $349, and you see the footage yourself before we recommend anything. For a written quote, call (678) 263-7908.
A Level 1 is a visual inspection of the accessible parts of the chimney and confirms basic soundness for a system that has been used regularly without changes. A Level 2 adds camera work through the flue interior and is what we recommend for most Medlock homes, because the builder-era design with shallower smoke shelves and older clay tile liners hides problems a visual check cannot reach. If you are buying, selling, or have not had the flue inspected in years, Level 2 is the honest baseline. Call (678) 263-7908 for a free estimate.
Poor draft in a split-level often means the smoke shelf is clogged, the flue is sized wrong, or the chimney is starved for combustion air. In older North Decatur split-levels, the shallow smoke shelf design common to the era is the usual culprit, and creosote builds up there quickly even with regular sweeping. A camera inspection shows exactly what is happening inside, and then we can recommend a fix with evidence. For a written quote on draft diagnosis, call (678) 263-7908.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Atlanta, serving North Decatur and surrounding areas since 2002.