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 Astoria, NY
Photos don’t ask for your trust. They show it. That’s why we keep a camera on the truck and another one clipped to a harness. The galleries below are real jobs around Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside, and Sunnyside. Some of them looked fine from the hearth. Inside the flue, it was a different story.
Recent Transformations
Glazed Creosote Removal on 30th Avenue
The homeowner called because smoke was backing into the living room on cold starts. What we found was a three-story run of flue coated in shiny, tar-like creosote, the kind that ignites at around 1,000°F and burns like a rocket. Wendell ran a rotary chain whip through the full length, then followed with a chemical treatment rated for glaze. The camera footage afterward showed raw flue tile with no residue. Fourth-degree damage would have meant a liner, but this chimney didn’t need one, and we said so.
Animal Nest Extraction in a Rowhouse on 23rd Avenue
Most Astoria rowhouses share chimney walls with the building next door. That means a nest in your flue is often one branch away from being a nest in your neighbor’s. We pulled out two contractor bags of twigs, leaves, and shredded insulation, then swept the entire run and fogged the smoke chamber. The real fix came last: a properly sized cap with mesh sides. Without it, the squirrels would just rebuild. Wendell’s been doing this since 1999, and he’s pulled some strange things out of flues, but a squirrel condominium still makes the list.
Heavy Soot Buildup in a Prewar Building off Ditmars Boulevard
This one came to us as a fireplace service call. The owner wanted the damper adjusted. What the camera showed was a flue that had probably not seen a brush since the Reagan administration. Seven buckets of soot came down. The damper didn’t need adjusting; it needed to not be buried. Once the firebox and flue were clean, we tested the draft with a smoke pencil and showed the owner the difference on camera. Took about four hours. Cost less than the new damper they thought they needed.
Chimney Cap Replacement with Crown Repair in Sunnyside Gardens
The homeowner called about a musty smell near the fireplace. The firebox itself was dry, but the flue walls were stained from years of rain. Water in a flue mixes with soot and turns into a mild acid that eats mortar. We repaired the crown with a proper slope so water sheds away, then installed a stainless cap sized for the flue. The smell faded within a week. This is the kind of job that doesn’t feel urgent until you see the camera footage of what the water was doing.
Smoke Chamber Cleaning and Parging in a Woodside Colonial
The smoke chamber is the hidden room between the firebox and the flue. Most sweeps don’t touch it because you can’t reach it from below. We clean and parge it from above when access allows. On this Woodside job, the chamber was so rough with creosote and old mortar that smoke was tumbling instead of flowing. A smooth, parged chamber makes a real difference in how the fireplace draws. It also gives you a few extra seconds if a flue fire ever starts, because there’s simply less fuel sitting there.
Chimney Liner Inspection and Sweep After an Oil-to-Gas Conversion in Astoria Heights
When the oil tank came out and a gas boiler went in, this homeowner got a surprise: the old clay liner was cracked in three places. Gas exhaust runs cooler and wetter than oil exhaust, which means condensation, which means the old liner would have failed within a couple of seasons. We swept the flue, then installed a stainless liner from DuraFlex sized for the new appliance. The camera before and after tells the whole story. You can see the cracks, then you can see the continuous metal wall. No guesswork, and no upselling, because the footage does the talking.
Want Results Like These?
If your chimney hasn’t been looked at since before the pandemic, it’s time. We show up in uniform, give you a real arrival window, and put the camera in the flue before recommending anything. The price you hear on the phone is the price on the invoice. No trip charge inside our service county. Call (929) 822-6306 and Wendell or his crew will get you scheduled.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Astoria since 1999.