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 Manassas, VA
Most of the work we do disappears into a flue, which is exactly why we document all of it. Since 2009, every Level Two Chimney Manassas job has ended the same way: a camera scan, a written record, and photos you keep. This page shows what that looks like. The “before” images are what we found. The “after” images are what we left behind.
Recent Transformations
Class III Creosote Removal in a Georgetown South Split-Level
The flue liner was coated with Class III creosote, the shiny, tar-like layer that builds when a fireplace burns low and slow. It’s the most fire-prone stage and can’t be brushed loose, it has to be broken down chemically first. We applied a creosote conditioner, swept the full flue length with rotary rods, removed roughly two gallons of material, then ran the camera from the firebox to the cap. The liner tiles were clean. The smoke chamber was clear. We documented the full run.
Smoke Chamber Clearing in a Sudley Cape Cod
The homeowners said smoke had been pushing back into the room on cold starts. The camera showed why: the smoke chamber, the angled shelf above the damper, was holding so much soot and old mortar debris that the draft couldn’t get established. We brushed the chamber walls by hand, vacuumed everything out through a HEPA filtration unit, and sealed the access door. The draft opened right up.
Animal Debris and Nest Removal in a Bull Run Colonial
What at first looked like a routine sweep turned into a full nest extraction. A squirrel, judging by the cache of acorns, had built inside the flue over the fall and blocked roughly 40 percent of the passage. We pulled the nest material, swept the entire flue, ran the camera to confirm no animal remained, then quoted a new stainless flue cap in writing. The cleanup was done same visit. The cap went on the following week.
Glazed Creosote and Blocked Damper in a Westgate Townhome
The damper handle wouldn’t move more than a half inch, so the fireplace had been sitting unused for about two years. Once we cleared the creosote that had glued the damper plate shut and lubricated the hinge, it moved freely. The flue had a coating of glazed creosote that needed a chemical treatment before the brushing cycle. We did both in one visit, then ran the camera from top to bottom. The firebox and flue were clean, and the draft tested normal.
Heavy Soot Removal and Firebox Cleaning in a Yorkshire Craftsman
This one was a straightforward cleaning, but there was a lot of material to move. The flue had years of dry soot built up on every wall, and the firebox sidewalls were coated enough that you couldn’t read the firebrick pattern. We swept with rotary rods, brushed the firebox and smoke shelf by hand, and vacuumed everything through the HEPA unit. We took before and after photos at the firebox and the mid-flue, plus a final camera walk.
Want Results Like These?
Every one of these jobs started with a written price before we touched anything. That’s how we work. If your fireplace hasn’t been looked at in a while, or you just want a camera record of what’s actually inside your flue, call (571) 946-2300. We’ll schedule a cleaning, give you a written price in advance, and you’ll get the photo record when we’re done.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Manassas, serving Manassas and surrounding Prince William County since 2009.