Before & After Gallery - Level Two Chimney White Plains

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in White Plains, NY

Photographs do what words cannot. When we pull a chimney brush through a flue that hasn’t been touched in fifteen years, the before-and-after tells the whole story: the creosote that was there, the flue liner that’s now visible, the cap that was rusted through and the new one that isn’t. Every project below is real work from our crews in White Plains, Scarsdale, Hartsdale, Rye Brook, and the surrounding Westchester neighborhoods. We document every job with a camera scan under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, so what you see here is exactly what our customers took home on their phones.

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Recent Transformations

Class III Creosote Removal in a Highlands Colonial

The home had a wood-burning fireplace that saw nightly use every winter for over a decade. The camera scan showed glazed, tarry creosote, which is the kind that burns like candle wax once it ignites, coating the flue in a fuel layer rather than flaking off. We ran a rotary cleaning head with steel cable lines, breaking the glaze back to the original terra cotta liner. The after-photo shows the liner’s mortar joints clearly for the first time in years, and the homeowner got a full digital record of the scan before we left.

Animal Nest Extraction and Flue Restoration in Gedney Farms

A family in Gedney Farms called us out because their fireplace smelled like damp leaves even in July. The Level 2 camera scan found a squirrel nest packed into the smoke chamber, plus twigs and acorns wedged three feet down the flue. After removing the nest and debris by hand, we swept the flue and installed a new stainless cap with a screened top, which is the part most people forget: cleaning the flue doesn’t matter if the cap has a hole the size of a squirrel. The written scope listed both the cleaning and the cap replacement before work started, so there were no surprises on the invoice.

Heavy Soot Buildup from a Gas Fireplace in a Mamaroneck Road Condo

Gas fireplaces are not maintenance-free, and this one proved it. The condo’s flue was lined with black soot fine enough to pass through a standard filter but thick enough to restrict draft. The root cause was a gas log set burning rich, which produces soot that clings to the flue instead of venting out. We swept the flue, checked the damper for proper travel, and noted the gas-to-air mixture in the written report so the homeowner could have the log set serviced. The camera footage after the sweep showed clean metal from the firebox to the termination cap.

Level 2 Camera Inspection Before a Home Sale in Rosedale

A home in Rosedale was under contract, and the buyer’s inspector flagged the chimney as “not evaluated.” The seller called us for a Level 2 inspection, which is the NFPA 211 standard when a property changes hands. We found moderate creosote and a cracked flue tile at the second course, which is common in homes built before 1980. After cleaning, we handed over a written condition report with still images, which let the seller and buyer negotiate the repair honestly. No one was guessing. The price for the sweep and the inspection was in writing before we rang the doorbell.

Smoke Chamber Parging and Sweep in a Battle Hill Split-Level

The smoke chamber is the section most homeowners never see, and it’s where a lot of chimney fires start. This Battle Hill home had a smoke chamber with open mortar joints and creosote packed into every crevice. We cleaned the flue first, then parged the chamber walls smooth, which removes the ledges where creosote collects and improves draft. The before photo looks like a cave wall. The after photo shows a continuous, clean surface. Both were included in the customer’s photo record, along with the written warranty for the parging work.

Rusted Chimney Cap and Crown Repairs off North Street

Water had been getting into this chimney for at least two seasons. The crown, which is the concrete slab at the top of the chimney, was cracked in a half-circle pattern that let rain pool against the flue tiles. The old cap had a rusted-out screen that would not have stopped a determined bird. We replaced the crown, installed a new stainless cap from Olympia Chimney, and swept the flue while we were already on the roof. The homeowner received photos of the old crown and the new one, side by side, in the written report.

Want Results Like These?

If your chimney hasn’t been cleaned in the last two years, or you’ve never actually seen what your flue liner looks like, call us at (914) 350-5204. We’ll give you a written price before any work starts, and we’ll hand you a photo record of everything we found when the job is done. That’s the Haven Standard, and it’s been our operating rule since 2009.

Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney White Plains, serving White Plains since 2009.