Proudly American
Pin each photograph to a part of the system
Above a traditional masonry firebox, the passage collects smoke and narrows toward the flue. The lining continues upward through the stack. A close picture of rough masonry and a close picture of liner tile can both appear on a camera report. Ask the writer to label the component, direction and approximate position for each photograph. If a section was obscured, the report should say so.
Read what each line item actually delivers
A proposal to repair the smoke chamber may describe addressing its internal surface. A proposal involving a liner should identify the serving appliance, the relevant passage and the extent of the work. Ask where each operation begins and ends, how nearby components will be protected and which finding it addresses. A smooth surface in the chamber does not by itself establish the condition of a tile farther up the stack.
Request an after-work comparison
Keep the original numbered photographs with the final record. If a provider gives you an image without a location, ask for the before photo that corresponds to it. A remaining inaccessible section should still be listed as such after an unrelated repair. That distinction matters at resale and when planning a separate fireplace change.