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 Lynchburg, VA
We’ve been cleaning chimneys in Lynchburg since 1984, and we’re still surprised by what we find. Creosote buildup doesn’t announce itself. It accumulates in layers you can’t see from the firebox. The photos below show what our Level-2 camera inspections reveal, and what a proper sweep leaves behind. No stock images. No staging. Just the work we did, documented so the homeowner could see it too.
Recent Transformations
Heavy Stage-3 Creosote Removal, Rivermont Area
The homeowner on Rivermont Avenue had noticed smoke backing up into the living room on windy days. Our camera inspection showed glazed creosote had reduced the flue opening by nearly 40 percent. We used mechanical rotary cleaning with professional-grade whips to break the glaze, then swept the full length of the flue. The camera went back in afterward so the homeowner could see the difference for herself. Airflow restored. No more smoke in the house.
Fireplace Smoke Chamber Parging, Wyndhurst
This Wyndhurst home had a fireplace that never drafted right, even after the flue was swept. The smoke chamber, the area above the damper, was built with rough corbelled brick that created turbulence. We applied HeatShield Cerfractory Foam to smooth the chamber walls per manufacturer specifications. The result was a straight, smooth passage that lets smoke rise instead of spilling into the room. Camera photos before and after are in the homeowner’s file.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuild, Boonsboro
A Boonsboro homeowner called after finding brick fragments in the firebox after a rainstorm. The concrete crown had cracked through and the old cap was missing entirely. Water was running straight down the flue, saturating the liner and starting to deteriorate the rear wall. We formed and poured a new sloped crown, then installed a Gelco stainless steel cap with proper mesh screening. No more water. No more debris. The flue will stay dry and the liner will last.
Factory-Built Chimney Restoration, Timberlake
This Timberlake home had a factory-built fireplace with original metal flue pipes that had corroded at the joints. The homeowner smelled smoke in the attic during heavy burns. We removed the damaged sections and installed DuraFlex liners with proper support and clearances to combustibles, following manufacturer specs exactly. The system now vents safely, and the attic stays clean. We documented every connection with photos for the homeowner’s records and for any future inspection.
Chimney Liner Replacement, Peakland
A Peakland homeowner’s home inspection flagged the chimney before a sale. Our camera found multiple cracked clay tiles and one section where the mortar between tiles had fallen out, creating a gap that let combustion gases contact the brick. We installed a continuous stainless steel liner with proper insulation, sized correctly for the appliance. The sale proceeded. The new owners have a chimney that meets current code and will outlast the mortgage.
Annual Maintenance Sweep, Downtown Lynchburg Historic District
This Downtown Lynchburg homeowner burns seasoned hardwood and schedules annually, which is exactly what the National Fire Protection Association recommends for active fireplaces. Even so, we found a quarter-inch of soot and early-stage creosote that would have thickened with another season. We swept the flue with properly sized brushes, contained all debris with HEPA vacuum, and ran the camera to confirm clean passage. The whole job took under two hours. She’ll call us next September, and we’ll document the condition again.
What Every Project Has in Common
None of these homeowners were told they needed work without seeing the evidence. Our Level-2 inspections end with photos you can see and a plain-English verdict. If something can wait, we say so. If it can’t, we show you why.
We’re background-checked, uniformed, and we complete most jobs in a single visit. The price we quote is the price on the invoice. And everything we do is covered by our 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing, no arguing. If it’s not right, we come back.
We work exclusively with professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. No builder-grade substitutes. No cutting corners on a system that vents fire and combustion gases through your home.
Want Results Like These?
Call (540) 328-6986 and you’ll reach a live person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’ll schedule your inspection, show you what we find, and leave your chimney clean, documented, and ready for safe burning. Done right, and we stand behind it.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Lynchburg since 1984.