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 Falls Church, VA
We’re not big on talk. We’ve been sweeping chimneys in Falls Church since 1984, and we’ve learned that a homeowner with a flashlight and a steady hand can see more truth in thirty seconds than any paragraph of ours can tell. This page is for when you’re deciding who to let into your house. Look at the work. Decide if it’s the standard you want.
Recent Transformations
Level-3 Creosote Removal, Chimney Cleaning & Sweep - Jefferson Park Area
The homeowner in Jefferson Park had been burning seasoned oak for three winters without a sweep. What started as soft, brushable soot had baked into third-degree glazed creosote, that shiny, tar-like coating that won’t budge with a standard brush. We treated it with a professional-grade creosote modifier, then ran mechanical whips and poly brushes until the flue showed bare liner wall. Camera inspection after confirmed full diameter restored. Burning season started two weeks later with a clean system.
Fireplace Smoke Stain Remediation & Chimney Cleaning - Broadmont Neighborhood
This Broadmont fireplace hadn’t drafted right in years. Smoke was spilling into the room every other fire, leaving black residue on the face brick and a smell the homeowner couldn’t get rid of. We found the flue partially blocked by a collapsed bird nest and a decade of compacted ash. After the chimney cleaning and sweep, we cleared the obstruction, adjusted the damper alignment, and treated the masonry with a non-acidic restoration cleaner. The smoke stains came off. More importantly, the smoke went up where it belongs.
Factory-Built Chimney Restoration & Chimney Cleaning - West Falls Church Near Route 7
Factory-built chimneys off Route 7 take a beating from our freeze-thaw cycles. This one had a rusted chase cover letting water straight onto the metal flue, accelerating corrosion and mixing with ash into a concrete-like sludge. We completed the chimney cleaning and sweep first, then documented the chase cover failure with photos the homeowner could see. Replaced it with a Gelco stainless cover, sealed the crown, and got the flue back to spec. No more water, no more corrosion accelerating.
Pre-Listing Chimney Cleaning & Level-2 Inspection - Falls Church City Historic District
Selling a 1920s home in the Falls Church City Historic District means disclosure headaches. The sellers had no records of chimney service, and the buyer’s inspector flagged it. We performed a full chimney cleaning and sweep, then ran our Level-2 camera inspection top to bottom. Found a partially detached clay liner joint that could have killed the deal. Documented it with photos, explained the repair options in plain English, and got the flue certified clean. The sellers had transparency. The buyers had confidence. The deal closed.
Annual Maintenance Chimney Cleaning & Sweep - Lake Barcroft Area
This Lake Barcroft homeowner heats with oil and knows the drill. Sulfuric residue from oil combustion eats flues from the inside if you let it sit. We do this chimney cleaning and sweep every September before the first firing. This year we pulled two gallons of granular soot and found early-stage deterioration at the flue base, caught before it became a liner replacement. Annual maintenance isn’t exciting. It’s how you avoid exciting.
Bird Nest Evacuation & Chimney Cleaning - Seven Corners Vicinity
Homeowner near Seven Corners heard chirping in the flue in April. By June there was no chirping, but there was a smell, and the fireplace wasn’t drafting. We found a vacant nest packed with debris, feathers, and the remains that come with it. Removed it carefully, completed the chimney cleaning and sweep, and installed a stainless Famco cap with proper mesh screening. No more tenants. No more smell. Draft back to normal.
What You’re Actually Seeing
Every photo on this page represents a real condition we’ve found in Falls Church homes. The creosote, the corrosion, the nests, the deferred maintenance. Our climate here, with humid summers and hard freezes, accelerates everything. A flue that might last twenty years in Arizona needs attention in twelve here.
We don’t show these to scare you. We show them because this is the actual condition of chimneys we see every week. Some need immediate repair. Some just need a thorough chimney cleaning and sweep and a schedule for next year. The difference is what the camera shows and what a trained eye reads in the images.
Our Level-2 inspections end with photos you can see and a plain-English verdict. Documented like an engineer, explained like a craftsman. If something can wait, we say so. If it can’t, we show you why.
Want Results Like These?
Call (571) 489-4365. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, every day. We’ll schedule your chimney cleaning and sweep, run the camera, and show you exactly what your flue looks like. No-hassle upfront pricing. The number on the estimate is the number on the invoice. And if anything’s not right, our 90-Day Done Right Promise means we come back. In writing, no arguing.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Falls Church since 1984.