I was sure a full video inspection was overkill for every clean, but a job in Tacoma changed my mind.

For years, I just used the mirror and light for a quick look after sweeping. Figured a full camera scan was only for big problems or rich people. Last month, I cleaned a normal looking brick chimney in a Tacoma split-level. The mirror showed clear flue tiles, so I was ready to pack up. The owner asked about a video check anyway, so I ran my camera up. About eight feet up, behind what looked like a solid tile, the camera showed a vertical crack you couldn't see from below. It was a full separation, maybe an inch wide. If I'd missed that, it could have been a real fire risk. Now I offer the video scan as a standard part of my mid-level service package. It costs a bit more, but it finds things the mirror just can't see. Has anyone else found a hidden flaw that a basic inspection missed?

4 comments

4 Comments

jones.kim2mo ago

An inch wide? That’s terrifying.

adams.river2mo ago

My friend in Florida found one squeezed under her sliding glass door last summer, the gap couldn't have been more than a quarter inch. I mean, they're basically liquid at that point. It's enough to make you check every crack in your house.

garcia.mila2mo ago

Oh my gosh, right? I read this article about how they can actually flatten their bodies to fit into crazy small spaces. It's wild!

the_cameron2d ago

Funny enough, that inch-wide crack is about the size of my attention span during a boring safety meeting. So yeah, terrifying for the chimney, pretty on-brand for me. Seriously though, props to that owner for insisting on the video. I've done that thing where I'm 99% sure everything's fine and then I eat my words later. It's a humbling experience, kind of like trying to park a truck in a compact spot. At least now you've got a horror story to scare customers into paying for the upgrade. Works better than a brochure, I bet.