Dryer Vent Inspection in Charlotte, NC

What a dryer vent inspection actually involves

The dryer gets pulled out first. We look at the transition hose behind it. Crushed foil behind a tight-pushed dryer is the most common find in Charlotte. Then a camera goes up the duct from the laundry end. We watch for lint shelves, screws poking through, and standing water in low spots. Outside, the termination gets checked by hand. Wall louvers, sidewall caps on garage-corner laundries, and roof caps all fail differently. Last, the dryer runs while we measure airflow at the hood.

Run type decides most of it. Prewar and midcentury homes near the center of town often have a short run straight through the exterior wall. Those stay clean. Ranch homes with crawlspace runs are the opposite. Sagging foil holds water, sags further, then separates at a joint. Lint and moisture end up under the house, on the ground.

Second-floor laundry rooms vent long through the attic to a roof cap. Cold attic plus warm moist air means caked lint. Roof caps also lose dampers, and birds move in.

Townhome and condo stacked closets share a chase. Those terminations rarely get checked by anyone.

Honest finding: old foil duct is worth replacing with rigid metal, not cleaning again.