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 Newport News, VA
Photos tell the story faster than any pitch. Below are the kinds of transformations Wendell and his crew see all over Newport News, Hilton Village, Denbigh, and the neighborhoods in between. Some jobs look worse than they are. Others look fine from the outside and are hiding trouble. Either way, the camera goes up before anything gets touched and comes back down with proof. That’s how it’s done here.
Recent Transformations
First-Degree Creosote Buildup in a Denbigh Fireplace
This one looked like a typical “we burn whatever we got” fireplace. The flue walls were holding a fuzzy coat of first-degree creosote, maybe a quarter inch thick in spots. Not dangerous yet, but it was heading that way. We ran the brush top to bottom, vacuumed every bit out of the smoke shelf and firebox, and left the flue walls clean enough to see the original clay tile. The homeowner watched the camera feed on the way back down and said it looked like a different chimney. It was.
Third-Degree Glaze Above a Wood Stove in Lee Hall
Third-degree creosote is a glaze. It’s shiny, it’s baked on, and a brush alone won’t get it off. This Lee Hall stove had been run low and slow for years, and the top twelve feet of flue looked like the inside of a well-used barbecue pit. Wendell used a rotary chain head to break the glaze loose, then followed with a standard brush pass and a full vacuum-out. The after footage shows raw stainless liner again. First-degree creosote is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze. Catch it early.
Dormant Season Debris and a Squirrel Nest in Hilton Village
Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too. This Hilton Village chimney had sat unused from March to October, and a squirrel had decided the flue was prime real estate. Twigs, leaves, and a surprising amount of acorn shells were packed in about three feet down. We pulled the nest, swept the full length, and checked for damage from the critter’s entry point. The after photo shows a clean flue and a clear smoke path. The homeowner booked a cap replacement before the first frost.
Heavy Stage-Two Creosote in a Two-Story Riverside Home
The outside of this Riverside chimney looked fine. Inside, stage-two creosote had built up as a flaky, crusted layer that catches a brush and fights back. This kind of buildup is exactly what creosote logs don’t remove. We took our time, made multiple passes, and vacuumed the full run from the firebox to the cap. The after footage shows the flue back to bare surface. Wendell’s note on the job ticket: “Looks worse than it was. Good thing they called.”
Crown Damage Found During a Routine Sweep in Oyster Point
This Oyster Point homeowner booked a standard sweep, which is exactly what we did. The camera, though, told a second story. The crown had cracked and was letting water seep into the masonry. Hairline now, a rebuild later. We showed the footage on the spot, explained what a freeze-thaw cycle does to a cracked crown here in coastal Virginia, and the homeowner approved the repair. The after photo shows a fresh crown and a flue that’s ready for winter. That’s the point of the camera. You see what we see.
Want Results Like These?
Every job gets the same treatment: camera footage, plain-English verdict, and upfront pricing before a tool comes off the truck. If it’s not right, the 90-Day Done Right Promise brings us back. Call (757) 384-4719 and talk to a live person, not a call center. No trip charge inside the county, and estimates are free.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Newport News since 1999.