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 Coventry, CT
Photos tell the truth faster than any brochure. On this page you’ll see what actually comes out of Coventry chimneys and what the flue looks like when Wendell and his crew are done. No stock images, no polished marketing shots. Just the kind of work we’ve been doing since 1999, documented so you can see the difference a real sweep makes.
Recent Transformations
Third-Degree Creosote Removal in South Coventry
This South Coventry home had a wood stove running for two winters without a sweep. The flue had built up a hard, shiny glaze of third-degree creosote, the kind a brush won’t touch. We used rotary cleaning heads and chemical treatment to break the glaze down, then removed every bit of it. The after photo shows the original clay tile surface, which the homeowner hadn’t seen in years.
Twenty Years of Soot in a Colonial off Route 31
The homeowner bought the house and had no record of the chimney ever being cleaned. The flue was caked with soot and a small animal nest had settled partway down. We removed the blockage, swept the full length, and ran a camera inspection to confirm nothing was hiding around the bends. The result was a draft strong enough to properly pull smoke on the first fire of the season.
Chimney Cap Replacement After a Rainy Spring
A Coventry client called because water was dripping into the firebox every time it rained. The old cap had rusted through and the crown had small cracks opening up. We pulled the old cap, repaired the crown, and installed a new stainless steel cap from Olympia Chimney. The after photo shows a dry firebox and a cap that will outlast the next few New England winters.
Stage-Two Creosote in a Cape on Lake Street
This cape had a fireplace that was used every weekend from October through March. The upper third of the flue had stage-two creosote, the kind that flakes off in sheets and can easily ignite. We swept it thoroughly and then ran the camera. The footage showed early spalling on two flue tiles, so we documented it with photos and told the homeowner it could safely wait a year but should be watched. No upsell, just the plain truth.
Historic Home Chimney in Coventry Village
An older home near the Coventry Village center had a fireplace that smoked into the room no matter how the damper was set. After a full sweep removed years of soot and a surprising amount of old mortar dust, we found the real issue: the damper plate had warped. We replaced the damper, re-swept, and tested the draft with a smoke pencil. The fireplace now draws the way it was meant to when the house was built.
Want Results Like These?
If your chimney hasn’t been swept in the last year, or you’re not sure when it was last done, call us at (860) 743-7732. Wendell answers the phone himself more often than not. We’ll schedule the sweep, show you the camera footage when we’re done, and leave your chimney looking like the after photos on this page. First-degree creosote is a brush job. Let’s keep it that way.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Coventry since 1999.