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 Northampton, PA
A chimney sweep’s work happens where you can’t easily look. The flue is dark, the damper gets in the way, and creosote doesn’t always announce itself with a chimney fire. That’s why we put a camera up every flue we clean in Northampton and the surrounding towns. You see the before. You see the after. You get a plain-English verdict on what needs attention now and what can safely wait. That’s how we’ve done it since 1999.
Recent Transformations
Heavy Creosote Buildup in a Coplay Wood-Burning Chimney
This flue had gone three seasons without a sweep, and the homeowner called after noticing a campfire smell in the living room even when the fireplace sat cold. The camera showed exactly what we expected: glossy, tar-like creosote running most of the flue’s length. The homeowner had been burning green wood and running the fire low and slow, which is a recipe for exactly this. Wendell’s crew used rotary rods and a chain whip to break the glaze, then a poly brush to finish the walls. The after-footage showed clean masonry from the smoke shelf to the cap, and the smell was gone within a day.
Stage-Two Creosote and a Stuck Damper in Bath
The complaint was smoke rolling back into the room every time the glass doors stayed open. We found stage-two creosote flaking off the walls plus a damper plate so caked it couldn’t swing more than halfway. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes. The sweep removed the creosote, wire-brushed the damper assembly, and freed the hinge so it opened and closed like it should. We finished with a level-one camera inspection and handed over the footage. Nothing else needed fixing that day, and we said so.
Animal Nest Removed from an Unused Chimney in Northampton
The homeowner had stopped using the fireplace years ago and never capped the flue. A starling saw an opportunity. The nest was packed in so tight the sweep had to break it apart with a chimney rod before any brushing could start. We removed the nest, swept the flue top to bottom, and installed a new cap and screen. The customer asked if they should reline the chimney since it hadn’t been used in years. Camera showed the original clay liner in decent shape, so the honest answer was no, not yet. Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too.
Odor Problem Traced to Chimney in a Walnutport Home
This one stumped the homeowner for months: a musty, smoky smell that got worse on humid days. They’d cleaned the firebox, replaced the grate, and even had the carpet shampooed. The problem was above the damper, at the smoke shelf, where creosote and old soot had mixed with years of dust and a little moisture from a hairline crack in the crown. We cleaned the entire flue, cleared the smoke shelf, and sealed the crown crack. The smell cleared within two weeks. We showed them the before and after camera stills so they could see what was actually causing it.
First-Degree Creosote and a Lesson in Burning Better in Catasauqua
First-degree creosote is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze. This Catasauqua flue had the first kind, and the homeowner asked if they could skip the sweep for another year. We told them not to. The powder might look harmless, but it’s flammable and it doesn’t take much once it starts to build. A standard rotary brushing took care of it in under an hour, and the homeowner spent a few minutes with our sweep learning which wood to burn and how hot to run the fire. They get it now. Smaller, hotter fires beat one slow smolder all evening.
Soot-Stained Fireplace and Smoke Damage Around the Mantel in Northampton
This wasn’t a full chimney fire, but it was close enough to scare the homeowner. Soot had billowed out across the mantel and up the wall during a windy night, leaving black streaks on the brick. The flue wasn’t drafting properly because of a partially blocked cap screen. We cleared the blockage, swept the flue, and did a careful firebox cleaning. We don’t do masonry stain removal or paint work, so for the wall damage we told them honestly who to call, and pointed out they’d want to repaint with a heat-resistant finish near the opening. No scare-selling on the reline. The flue was fine once it could breathe.
Want Results Like These?
Every sweep we do in Northampton comes with camera verification, upfront pricing before we start, and the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If it’s not right, one call brings Wendell back. Call (484) 859-1367 to book your sweep. Free estimates, and no trip charge inside the county. Ask anyone on your street.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Northampton since 1999.