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 Arlington Heights, IL
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and we’ve photographed every one of them. The camera doesn’t lie. What follows are real conditions we find in Arlington Heights homes, the work we did, and what the flue looked like when we finished. If your chimney resembles the “before,” the “after” is one booking away.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal - Arlington Heights Split-Level
The homeowner in the Scarsdale neighborhood had been burning seasoned oak three to four nights a week for three winters without a sweep. We ran our camera and found Class III glazed creosote - that’s the shiny, tar-like layer that standard brushes won’t touch - reducing a 6-inch flue liner to under 4.5 inches of free passage. It’s the condition that turns chimney fires from a possibility into a probability. We applied a creosote-modifying agent, let it dwell, then used rotary chain whips and polypropylene brushes to break the glaze. After four passes and a final camera scan, the terracotta showed its original buff color and the full 6-inch diameter was restored. Clause 4 of the Haven Standard required the photo record; the customer kept the before-and-after stills.
Smoke Chamber Parging - Brick Ranch in North Arlington Heights
This 1962 brick ranch near Lake Arlington had a smoke chamber - the area above the damper that funnels smoke into the flue - built with corbeled brick and no parging. The mortar was eroded to the point that gaps exceeded what NFPA 211 allows, creating turbulence that was sending smoke into the living room during certain wind conditions. We removed the loose material, applied Smoke Chamber Sealant (a rated refractory product from HeatShield), and formed it to the required 45-degree slope. The draft improved immediately. The homeowner’s written scope specified the material batch number and the warranty term before we started; that’s Haven Standard Clause 1.
Stainless Steel Liner Installation - Chimney with Spalling Flue Tiles
We were called for a routine sweep in a colonial near Thomas Middle School. The camera scan showed spalling - that’s when the face of the terracotta tile flakes off due to freeze-thaw cycling and acid attack from combustion byproducts - plus vertical cracks running two feet. The tiles were no longer containing the flue gases. A sweep alone would have left a hazardous chimney. We presented the camera footage, explained that the flue liner had failed, and quoted a 316Ti stainless steel liner from Olympia Chimney with a lifetime warranty. The price was in writing before we discussed scheduling. We dropped the liner, connected it to a new top plate and rain cap from Gelco, and ran a final camera pass to confirm full engagement. The documented photo record showed the cracks before and the continuous steel after.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuild - Water Intrusion in Scarsdale
Water was dripping into the firebox during heavy rain. We found the crown - the concrete slab that tops most masonry chimneys - cracked through to the flue liner, with the thin mortar wash mostly gone. The cap that had been installed years earlier was too small and had trapped moisture against the brick. We removed the failed cap, formed a new cast-in-place crown with proper overhang and drip edge, applied a rated crown sealant, and installed a custom stainless steel cap from Famco sized to cover both flues with adequate clearance. The water staining on the firebrick dried within two weeks. The photo record included moisture meter readings of the firebox brick before and after.
Fireplace Insert Hearth Extension - Code Compliance in Downtown Arlington Heights
A homeowner near Vail Avenue had purchased a used fireplace insert and installed it on the existing 12-inch hearth. The unit’s tested clearance to combustibles required 16 inches in front, and the wood floor was showing heat discoloration at the edge. We don’t move stoves, but we do make the hearths they sit on compliant. We fabricated a slate hearth extension, matched the existing floor height, and sealed the seam with rated high-temp adhesive. The insert now sits on a surface that meets the manufacturer’s tested clearance and the Village of Arlington Heights permit inspector’s requirements. The written scope specified the slate source, dimensions, and the NFPA 211 citation; the photo record showed the tape measure on the finished extension.
Annual Maintenance Sweep - Heavy Soot Load from Improper Air Setting
This was a first-time customer in the Greenbrier neighborhood who had been closing the glass doors and dampering down to “make the fire last overnight.” The result was a 1-inch layer of Class II soot - fluffy, carbon-rich, highly combustible - across the entire 18-foot flue liner. We explained that an oxygen-starved fire produces more particulate and more carbon monoxide risk, then swept with polypropylene brushes and HEPA containment. The soot load filled two vacuum drums. After the sweep and camera scan, the liner was clean and the draft reading improved from -0.02 to -0.06 inches water column. We left the written sweep report with the photo record and a note on proper air settings. No upsell. Just a clean flue and a homeowner who understood why the fire had been smoking into the room.
Want Results Like These?
Every job above started with a camera inspection and ended with a documented photo record - Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, non-negotiable since 2009. We’ll give you a written price before any work starts, and our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers what we do. Call (331) 202-2419 to book your Level 2 inspection and sweep. A live person answers, 24 hours a day.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Arlington Heights, serving Arlington Heights since 2009.