ad356 wrote:the other chimney does have its problems. my issue with that chimney person, is he spent literally 5-10 minutes and told me I owed him $180. that was the part that pissed me off, I had never had someone do that to me. what do I say to him, im not paying you what you asked me to pay you. the other chimney is touching the eves, didn't have enough bricks around the thimble and was transferring heat to the wall. that chimney is never going to be used again, the only reason why I have not torn it down is that its a real hassle. there were also signs of a bad chimney fire. I was upset because I was charged allot of money when he really did nothing.
if you can,look into the thimble or clean out with a mirrow and see the flu for yourself,and you be the judge if it looks good/bad,and take a pic if possible and let us see and maybe we can advise you what to do with it.Post a pic of your 2nd chimney with what you described.As stated earlier a coal fire has no creasote and will only help clean the creasote off with use.Most chimney inspectors are looking to make money by installing a liner with big profits into their pockets.