Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterChimney Cleaning Before & After in New York, NY
Photos tell the truth faster than any sales pitch. When we sweep a chimney in New York, the difference between what the flue looked like before and after is usually stark. Below are representative jobs from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, selected to show the range of what we actually see: glaze-hard creosote, animal debris, and liners that simply haven’t been touched since the building went up. Every photo record you’ll see mirrors what we document on each visit under Haven Standard Clause 4.
Recent Transformations
Class II Creosote Removal in a Chelsea Prewar Walk-Up
This 1928 walk-up off Eighth Avenue had not been swept since before the current owner purchased the unit. The flue walls carried a tacky, tar-like Class II creosote about a quarter inch thick, with heavier deposits concentrated near the smoke chamber. We ran mechanical rods with a poly brush, hand-scraped the smoke chamber, and finished with a HEPA vacuum pass. The after photo is the same flue, same camera angle, with clean terracotta visible and no residual glaze. The owner kept the photo record for their co-op file, which is exactly how Clause 4 is meant to work.
Class III Glaze Removal in a Park Slope Brownstone
Class III creosote is the glassy, baked-on stage. It doesn’t brush off; it has to be broken down chemically and then removed with a rotary loop system. This Park Slope brownstone had exactly that condition in a 9×13 flue serving a wood-burning fireplace. After two chemical applications and a rotary sweep, the flue was back to bare clay. The difference in the before and after is immediate: from a black mirror to a dull, clean tile surface. Corrine Halstead, Owner, reviewed the camera footage before we signed off on the job.
Pigeon Debris and Nesting Material in a Harlem Chimney
Pigeons and starlings treat uncapped New York chimneys like rent-stabilized housing. This Harlem four-story had a flue packed with dried droppings, straw, and two dead birds, about three feet of material compacted above the smoke shelf. Sweeping alone wasn’t enough; we removed the bulk by hand through the cleanout, then swept the liner and installed a stainless cap with a proper spark arrestor. The after photo shows an empty flue and a terminated crown. If you smell a dry, musty odor near an unused fireplace, this is usually why.
Fireplace Restoration After Years of Rental Use in the East Village
Rental units in the East Village see odd things burned in fireplaces: painted wood, wrapping paper, occasionally trash. This firebox had a soot crust on the lintel and throat, and the damper was half-seized from rust. We swept the flue, freed and lubricated the damper, and scrubbed the firebox masonry back to its original color. The result isn’t decorative; it’s a fireplace that drafts correctly and closes properly when not in use. The written scope listed each step before we started, and the after photo was delivered the same day.
Flood-Damaged Ash Dump in a Long Island City Condo
After heavy rain, this condo’s ash dump filled faster than usual. The owner sent photos of damp ash collecting in the firebox, which usually points to a failed cap or crown. We found the crown cracked along its north edge, letting water track down the flue and into the ash pit. We removed the saturated material, swept the flue, and rebuilt the crown with a proper wash to direct water away from the liner. The after photo shows a dry, cleaned ash pit and the new crown in place. Without the camera inspection, this would have been written off as a simple sweep.
Wood Stove Flue Liner Resurfacing in a Staten Island Home
This Staten Island wood stove had a clay liner with cracked joints and gaps wide enough for smoke to reach the chimney chase. Rather than a full rebuild, we resurfaced the liner with HeatShield, a cerfractory material that seals the existing tile into a continuous, insulated passage. The before photo shows the gaps cleanly; the after shows a smooth, uniform liner. The owner received a photo record of the finished surface, and the work carries the same 365-Day Done Right Promise as any sweep or repair.
Want Results Like These?
Every chimney we clean in New York gets the same treatment: camera inspection, written price before work starts, and a documented photo record when it’s done. If your flue hasn’t been swept in the last year, call (551) 213-5548 and we’ll show you what your chimney looks like, inside and out, before we touch a brush.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney New York, serving New York since 2009.