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 Hicksville, NY
We’ve spent over 42 years cleaning chimneys across Hicksville and Nassau County. After a while, you learn that describing creosote buildup doesn’t land the way showing it does. These are real jobs we’ve handled, with photos our technicians took on site. The difference between a neglected flue and a clean, safe system is stark, and it’s worth seeing for yourself.
Recent Transformations
Stage-3 Glazed Creosote Removal, Levittown Border
The homeowner near the Levittown border had burned cordwood for three winters without a sweep. What started as flaky soot had baked into stage-3 glazed creosote, a hardened, tar-like compound that standard brushes won’t touch. We applied a professional-grade creosote modifier, let it work into the glaze, then ran mechanical whips and poly brushes until the flue showed bare stainless. The draft improved immediately, and the Level-2 camera inspection afterward confirmed zero remaining deposits. Russell Haines flagged a hairline crack in the flue tile while we had the camera up, documented it with photos the homeowner could see, and explained why it should be monitored rather than repaired immediately.
Chimney Swift Nest Evacuation and Flue Restoration, South Hicksville
In South Hicksville, where the oak canopy is thick enough to support chimney swift colonies, we get these calls every May. This flue was packed with twig-and-saliva nesting material from a colony that had moved in over the winter. The homeowner smelled smoke backing up into the living room. We removed the nest by hand, swept the flue, and installed a Gelco screen cap with proper clearance specs so the birds could nest elsewhere next season without blocking the draft. The whole job took one visit. Our technician showed the homeowner the camera footage of the cleared flue and the installed cap before packing up.
Prefabricated Fireplace Flue Collapse Cleanup, East Meadow Adjacent
This prefab unit near the East Meadow line had a factory-built flue liner that cracked and dropped sections into the smoke chamber, a scenario we see when maintenance gets skipped on units from the 1980s and 90s. The homeowner called because the fireplace was “smoking funny.” We pulled the debris, ran the camera to map the damage, and installed a DuraFlex stainless liner sized exactly to the appliance’s BTU rating. The smoke chamber got a HeatShield parge coat to smooth the corbelled brick. Photos before, during, and after went to the homeowner’s email that evening. Russell Haines reviewed the job personally because the original installation had been done without proper clearance to combustibles, and he wanted the correction documented for the permit file.
Historic Masonry Flue with Soot Fall Accumulation, Old Country Road Corridor
Off Old Country Road, we cleaned a 1920s masonry fireplace that had been “swept” by a brush-on-a-stick operation the year before. The smoke shelf, that horizontal ledge behind the damper, was packed with a decade of soot fall the previous sweep never reached. The homeowner complained of cold drafts and a persistent ashy smell in summer. We set up proper containment, ran a vacuum with HEPA filtration, and hand-cleaned the smoke shelf until the original brick showed through. The damper, seized with creosote corrosion, got freed and lubricated. The difference in draft was measurable with our manometer. The homeowner told our technician she’d thought the smell was just “how old houses are.”
Gas Insert Conversion Cleanup and Inspection, Plainview Border
A family near the Plainview border bought a gas insert from a hearth shop and needed the existing flue certified before installation. We found moderate soot deposits, a partially collapsed clay liner section, and a bird carcass on the smoke shelf. Not the kind of thing you want venting a gas appliance. We cleaned the flue, removed the obstruction, documented the liner damage with camera photos, and sized the new DuraFlex liner run for the insert’s specific input rating. The installer had what they needed to proceed, and the homeowner had documentation that the chimney was safe for the conversion. Russell Haines has seen too many gas conversions fail inspection because the chimney prep got skipped or done wrong, so we treat these as full restoration jobs, not quick sweeps.
Post-Chimney Fire Damage Assessment and Recovery, Hicksville Proper
The call came in February from a homeowner in central Hicksville who’d heard “a freight train sound” in the chimney during a Sunday evening fire, then found cracked plaster on the exterior chase Monday morning. That’s the classic signature of a chimney fire, and the damage was exactly what you’d expect. We found heat-shattered flue tiles, spalled mortar joints, and pyrolyzed creosote glazed to the remaining surfaces. No safe way to continue using the fireplace. We cleaned out the damaged liner, ran a full Level-2 inspection with photo documentation for the insurance adjuster, and installed an Olympia Chimney stainless liner with proper insulation to meet UL 1777. The homeowner’s insurance covered the work because our documentation was thorough enough that no second inspection was needed. Russell Haines handled the adjuster call personally, something he’s done enough times to know exactly what language they need to hear.
Want Results Like These?
Every job here started with a phone call to (516) 259-3797. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’ll schedule your sweep, run a Level-2 camera inspection with photos you can see, and give you a plain-English verdict on what your chimney actually needs. No surprises on the bill. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers everything we do. Call (516) 259-3797 or book online.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Hicksville since 1984.