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 Long Island, NY
We could tell you we do careful work, but anyone can say that. Photos show what a flue actually looked like before Wendell and his crew got to it, and what it looked like when they left. This page is a running record of chimney cleaning jobs around Long Island. No stock images. No filters. Just the inside of a chimney, before and after a sweep who knows what he’s doing.
Recent Transformations
Third-Degree Creosote Glaze in Huntington
This flue hadn’t been swept in years, and what should have been a brush job had turned into a hard, shiny glaze that a standard sweep won’t touch. Wendell and his crew used mechanical removal to break the glaze down, then finished with a rotary clean. The terra cotta underneath was in better shape than the homeowner expected. The before photo shows what third-degree creosote looks like when it’s left alone too long. First-degree is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze, and this one was right at the edge.
Bird Nest Blockage in Massapequa
A homeowner called because smoke was backing into the living room every time they lit a fire. The cause was a full bird nest, packed tight about four feet down from the top of the flue. We removed the nest, swept the full length of the chimney, and installed a proper cap so the birds don’t come back next spring. The cap is the part people skip, and then we get the call a year later with the same problem.
Neglected Woodstove Flue in Smithtown
The homeowner burned unseasoned wood for two winters and the inside of this flue showed it. Creosote had built up thick enough that the flue was narrowed by nearly half. We did a full sweep and then ran a camera down to confirm the liner was still sound, which it was. The homeowner got the footage and a plain-English verdict before we left the driveway. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes.
Smoky Fireplace in Garden City
This one looked fine from the hearth, but the smoke chamber was coated and the flue had a partial blockage about halfway up. The homeowner had been living with a smoky living room for months, assuming it was just how the house drafted. We swept the chamber and the flue, removed the blockage, and the draft came right back. Sometimes the fix is that simple. Sometimes it isn’t, but we always start with the basics before recommending anything bigger.
Oil Boiler Flue in Babylon
Oil flues don’t get creosote the way wood chimneys do, but they collect soot and they need to be checked for corrosion and blockages. This one had a soot layer building up and some rust starting at a joint. We swept it, checked the joints, and told the homeowner exactly what needed watching and what could wait. No new liner. No scare tactic. Just the facts, and a clean flue going into burning season.
Want Results Like These?
Every chimney on this page belongs to someone on Long Island who picked up the phone. Yours can be next. Call (516) 968-5380 and we’ll give you upfront pricing before a single tool comes off the truck. Free trip charge inside the county. $40 off any repair over $200. Seniors and veterans always save 10%.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Long Island since 1999.