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 Attleboro, MA
After 42 years in this trade, we’ve learned that showing beats telling every time. A homeowner in Attleboro can read about creosote buildup all day, but one look at a flue caked in glazed tar and the same flue running clean - that’s when the risk becomes real. These are actual jobs we’ve completed in Attleboro and the surrounding towns, documented with our level-2 camera so you see what we see.
Recent Transformations
Glazed Creosote Removal - South Attleboro Cape
The homeowner had been burning seasoned oak for three winters without a sweep, figuring the chimney “looked fine from below.” Our camera found a quarter-inch glaze of baked-on creosote reducing the flue to the size of a stovepipe. We ran mechanical creosote removal with chain whips and poly brushes, then finished with a rotary sweep. The after photos show terracotta flue tiles with clean, visible mortar joints - the way they’re supposed to look. Russell Haines flagged two hairline cracks while we had the camera up, so the homeowner knew exactly what needed watching versus what needed fixing now.
Fireplace Smoke Chamber Parging - Attleboro Falls Colonial
This 1920s colonial had the classic corbelled smoke chamber - brick steps jutting inward like a funnel built by a committee. Gaps between the corbels were collecting soot, and the rough surface was slowing draft enough that smoke was backing up into the living room on windy days. We used HeatShield smoke chamber parge, troweled smooth to the proper 8:1 slope. The after inspection showed a continuous, sealed surface with no ledges for creosote to accumulate. Draft improved immediately, and the homeowner stopped getting that eye-watering haze every time the wind shifted west off the Ten Mile River.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuild - Hebronville Ranch
The crown had deteriorated to the point that water was weeping down the flue every spring thaw, carrying dissolved salts that stained the firebox white. No cap meant squirrels had already nested once. We formed and poured a new concrete crown with proper overhang and drip edge, then installed a Gelco stainless steel cap with 3/4-inch mesh to keep out critters while letting smoke escape. The before photos show the crown flaking like bad pastry; the after shows clean lines and a cap that’ll outlast the next roof. Russell Haines walked the homeowner through the pour so they’d know why we spec’d a 4-inch overhang instead of the 2-inch minimum.
Level-2 Inspection Reveals Hidden Blockage - Downtown Attleboro Triple-Decker
The new owners of this converted triple-decker smelled smoke in the second-floor unit every time the first-floor tenant ran their fireplace. Our camera found a collapsed section of original clay liner had dropped like a broken vase, blocking half the flue and forcing exhaust into a gap between the liner and masonry. We installed a DuraFlex stainless steel liner sized to the appliance, with proper top plate and bottom adapter connections. The before footage shows jagged terracotta shards and a flue that was essentially a masonry maze; the after shows a smooth, continuous passage from firebox to cap. Both units now draft independently, and the owners have dated photos documenting the condition at purchase.
Prefabricated Fireplace Flue Sweep - Cumberland Ridge Townhouse
Prefab fireplaces don’t have terracotta flue tiles - they run metal flue pipes that can pack solid with soot if the wrong fuel gets burned or the air mix is off. This unit had two seasons of compressed soot reducing the pipe diameter by nearly a third, plus dried nesting material from a previous cap failure. We used appropriately sized poly brushes and vacuum collection, then verified proper clearances to surrounding framing with the camera. The before photos show a pipe that looked like it was lined with felt; the after shows bare metal with the manufacturer’s gauge stamp still readable. We also confirmed the termination height met code for this roof pitch, which it didn’t - so we raised it while we were up there.
Historic Chimney Restoration - Attleboro Corner Victorian
This 1890s Victorian had been “repaired” by a previous owner with Portland cement slathered over the original lime mortar, which trapped moisture and accelerated the freeze-thaw damage it was supposed to prevent. Bricks were spalling, mortar was powdering, and the crown course was missing entirely in spots. We ground out the Portland, repointed with proper lime-based mortar matched to the original hardness, and rebuilt the crown course with salvaged period brick from a local demolition. The before photos show the gray, cracked cement patches and exposed inner wythes; the after shows consistent mortar color and brick faces that belong on this house. Russell Haines documented the whole process for the homeowner’s historic tax credit application.
Want Results Like These?
Every job here started with a phone call to (508) 545-9737, answered by a live person - no voicemail, no callback queue. We’ll book your level-2 camera inspection, show you exactly what your flue looks like, and give you a plain-English verdict on what needs doing now versus what can wait. Upfront pricing means the number on your estimate is the number on your invoice. And if anything’s not right, our 90-Day Done Right Promise covers it in writing, no arguing. We’ve been serving Attleboro since 1984, and we plan to be here thirty more years. That changes how you treat every chimney.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Attleboro since 1984.