Before & After Gallery - Hearthstone Chimney Co.

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in Queens, NY

We’re not big on talking about ourselves. We’d rather show you what a proper chimney cleaning actually looks like. These are real jobs we’ve handled across Queens, from Flushing to Far Rockaway. The photos tell the story: what we found, what we did, and how the chimney looked when we finished. If your fireplace or flue looks anything like the “before” shots below, it’s time to call.

Call (516) 531-6315

Recent Transformations

Stage-3 Creosote Removal, Bayside Colonial

The homeowner in Bayside had been burning seasoned oak for fifteen years without a sweep. When we ran the camera, the flue looked like it was lined with tar. Stage-3 glazed creosote is a genuine fire hazard; it ignites at lower temperatures and burns hot enough to crack masonry. We used mechanical whipping and rotary poly brushes to break the glaze, then pulled the debris with a high-powered vacuum. The camera inspection after showed bare terracotta all the way up. The homeowner’s first words were, “I can actually see the tiles.”

Blocked Flue from Bird Nesting, Forest Hills Tudor

A family in Forest Hills called because smoke was backing up into their living room every time they lit a fire. The cap had blown off in a nor’easter two springs prior, and chimney swifts had built a substantial nest. We see this often in Queens, where mature trees in neighborhoods like Forest Hills and Kew Gardens attract nesting birds that find uncapped chimneys ideal. We extracted the nesting material by hand and with specialized rods, then installed a Gelco stainless-steel cap with mesh screening. Draft tested normal. No more smoke in the house, and no more birds.

Heavy Soot Load After Conversion, Astoria Two-Family

An Astoria landlord had switched his rental’s heating system from oil to gas without updating the chimney liner or scheduling a post-conversion sweep. Two heating seasons later, the metal flue was carrying a dangerous soot load that restricted draft and raised carbon monoxide risk. We see this scenario in Queens’ older housing stock more than we’d like. We cleaned the flue to bare metal, ran a Level-2 camera inspection to check for gaps in the liner connections, and documented everything with photos the owner could show his insurance agent. The tenant’s heat worked better that same afternoon.

Fallen Debris and Animal Entry, Jamaica Victorian

A Jamaica homeowner heard scratching in her chimney breast and smelled something foul when the wind blew certain directions. The crown had hairline cracks that let water in, which froze, expanded, and spalled brick down into the smoke chamber. Squirrels had found the gap. We removed the debris and droppings, repaired the crown with proper crown seal, and parged the smoke chamber smooth with HeatShield Cerfractory Foam. The scratching stopped. The smell stopped. And the chimney was structurally sound again.

Neglected Fireplace Restoration, Jackson Heights Pre-War

The fireplace in this Jackson Heights co-op hadn’t been used since the 1980s. The new owners wanted it functional for the first time in forty years. The firebox was coated with brittle, acidic soot that had degraded the original firebrick. We hand-cleaned the masonry, replaced the damaged brick with new medium-duty firebrick, and sealed the hearth with a breathable masonry treatment. The building’s super watched the whole process; he told us he’d never seen a crew take photos of every stage for the board’s records. That’s standard for us. Photos you can see, a plain-English verdict.

Commercial Flue Cleaning, Flushing Restaurant

A Flushing restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue needed its kitchen exhaust flue cleaned before the fire marshal’s annual inspection. The combination of cooking grease and wood-fire smoke had created a compound buildup that standard brushes couldn’t touch. We used chemical degreaser compatible with commercial stainless flues, followed by mechanical cleaning and a full camera pass. We issued written certification of compliance. The inspector signed off the next day. The owner told us his previous company had never offered documentation; we don’t consider the job done without it.

Want Results Like These?

Every job here started with a phone call to a live person, not a voicemail maze. We’ll schedule your sweep, show up when we say, and give you photos and a straight answer about what your chimney needs. No pressure, no surprises on the bill. Call (516) 531-6315 for your appointment in Queens. Estimates are free, and most cleanings finish in a single visit.

Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Queens since 1984.