A chimney technician sits between the sweep (who cleans and does basic inspection) and the mason (who builds and rebuilds structures) — your work is diagnosis and repair: figuring out why a chimney is failing, choosing the correct liner or repair method, and fixing water intrusion and structural problems before they become a full rebuild. This is the role that keeps a chimney safely in service for decades rather than replaced every time something goes wrong.

This course focuses on what makes this role distinct from sweeping or new-construction masonry: comparing liner types and knowing when each is the right call, tracing water intrusion back to its actual source instead of patching symptoms, and making sound repair-versus-rebuild decisions backed by a real structural assessment. You will finish able to diagnose why a specific chimney is failing and recommend the repair that actually addresses it.