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 Astoria, NY
Talking about clean chimneys only goes so far. You want to see what 16 years of accumulated creosote looks like before a sweep, and what the same flue looks like after. Every project below is a real job we’ve done in Astoria, captured with the camera-scan inspection that comes standard on every visit under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard. The photos tell the story.
Recent Transformations
Class III Creosote Removal in a Ditmars Boulevard Row House
The flue liner on this 1920s Ditmars row house hadn’t been swept in over a decade. The camera scan showed Class III creosote, the glazed, tar-like buildup that resists basic brushing and carries the highest chimney fire risk. We removed it with a rotary whip system, then re-scanned the full length of the flue. The result: a clean terra cotta liner and a photo report the homeowner can actually read, not just a receipt that says “swept.”
Heavy Soot and Blockage in an Astoria Park Co-op
A co-op unit near Astoria Park had a fireplace that smoked into the living room every time it was lit. The camera revealed a flue narrowed by soot and a partially collapsed bird’s nest about 12 feet up. We swept the full length, removed the nest, and installed a new stainless chimney cap to keep it from happening again. The fireplace now draws cleanly on the first match.
Gas Fireplace Flue Cleaning on 30th Avenue
Gas fireplaces still deposit material in the flue, and this one on 30th Avenue had enough buildup to restrict ventilation. The camera showed a fine, chalky layer of soot and mineral scale along the liner. We swept it clean and ran a draft verification to confirm the combustion gases were venting properly. Written scope, written price, done, with the before and after photos included in the file.
Chimney Crown and Flue Rescue off 21st Street
This chimney off 21st Street had a crown that was spalling, meaning the concrete was flaking and letting water into the structure. That water had turned the creosote inside the flue into a sticky, acidic sludge. We did a full Level 2 camera inspection, swept the flue, and rebuilt the crown with a proper slope to shed water. The owner walked away with a dry flue and a written record of exactly what was found and what we did about it.
Decades of Wood-Burning Buildup in a Steinway Street Classic
A classic prewar fireplace on Steinway Street had a flue coated in stage II creosote, the flaky, chunky kind that builds up when a fireplace is used regularly without annual sweeping. The homeowner told us they’d been burning for 20 years and never once had the chimney cleaned. We swept the full length, removed roughly four gallons of material, and confirmed the liner was still structurally sound. Now it’s on an annual schedule, not a once-a-generation one.
Smoke Chamber Cleaning in a Broadway Apartment Building
The smoke chamber, the area above the firebox where smoke gathers and funnels into the flue, is where most sweeps miss buildup. In a Broadway apartment building, we found this chamber nearly half full of soot and old creosote. We cleaned the entire smoke chamber plus the flue above it, then ran a camera scan to document the full passage. This is the kind of job where the before-and-after photos make the difference obvious, because you can see the space the smoke now has.
Want Results Like These?
Every one of these jobs started with a written price before any work began, and ended with the photos to prove the work was done right. If you’re in Astoria and want to know what’s actually inside your chimney, call us at (516) 301-1549. We’ll bring the camera, the written quote, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Astoria, serving Astoria since 2009.