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 Camden, NJ
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and we’ve photographed every one. The camera doesn’t flatter. What you see here is exactly what our technicians see through the lens: Class III creosote, cracked flue liners, and the aftermath of a proper sweep. These aren’t stock photos. They’re Clause 4 of the Haven Standard in action.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal, Cramer Hill
The homeowner in Cramer Hill smelled something acrid every time the furnace cycled. We ran the camera and found glazed creosote, a hard, tar-like deposit that forms when smoke condenses in a cool flue, baked onto the liner walls like enamel. It’s the most dangerous class of buildup because it ignites at lower temperatures and burns with explosive force. We applied a professional-grade creosote modifier to break the glaze bond, then mechanical swept with polypropylene whips until the flue showed bare terra cotta. The camera scan afterward confirmed zero remaining deposit. Written price before we started: $340. Photo record delivered same day.
Smoke Chamber Parging, Whitman Park
The smoke chamber in this Whitman Park rowhouse was built with corbelled brick, stepped inward like a pyramid to funnel smoke into the flue. The mortar between those bricks had turned to sand, and the gaps were pulling smoke into the wall cavity every time they ran a fire. That’s carbon monoxide risk, not just draft loss. We parged the entire chamber with HeatShield Cerfractory Foam, a refractory compound that seals gaps and creates a smooth, insulated surface. The result: smoke moves straight up, not sideways. Camera footage before and after is in their file. Written scope, written price, written warranty, all delivered before the first trowel touched brick.
Stainless Steel Liner Installation, Bergen Square
This Bergen Square chimney had clay flue tiles that were spalling, meaning the faces were flaking off in shards from freeze-thaw cycles and acid attack. Spalled tiles reduce draft, catch creosote in the pits, and can block the flue entirely if a piece breaks free. We pulled a 316Ti stainless steel DuraFlex liner down from the crown, connected it to the fireplace insert with a proper appliance adapter, and sealed the top with a custom top plate and Gelco rain cap. The old clay is still back there, but it’s no longer carrying exhaust. The new liner carries a lifetime warranty. We showed them the cracked tiles on camera before we quoted, and the finished connection after. No surprises. Clause 1 of the Haven Standard: have it in writing.
Crown Rebuild with Overhang Correction, Parkside
The crown on this Parkside chimney was poured flush with the brick, so every raindrop ran straight down the masonry face. That’s how brick spalls, mortar joints erode, and water ends up in your living room ceiling. We formed and poured a new crown with a 2-inch overhang and a drip edge cut underneath, sloped ¼ inch per foot to shed water away from the brick. Then we sealed it with a breathable silane-siloxane compound. The brick below it will outlast the mortgage. Photo record shows the old crack pattern, the formwork, and the finished slope. Written price: $680. Done in one day.
Chimney Cap and Spark Arrestor, Cooper Grant
The Cooper Grant homeowner heard scratching in the flue in October. We found a squirrel nest, two feet deep, packed with leaves and acorn shells. A blocked flue doesn’t vent; it backs up carbon monoxide and can turn a chimney fire into a house fire when sparks hit dry nesting material. We removed the debris, swept the flue, and installed a Gelco multi-flue cap with ¾-inch stainless mesh. The mesh stops animals and floating embers both. The cap itself is black powder-coated steel, vented to prevent condensation, and sized to cover both flues with one unit. Written price before we climbed: $420. Camera footage of the nest, the clean flue, and the cap from the roof is in their file.
Fireplace Smoke Stain Remediation, Waterfront South
This Waterfront South fireplace had been smoking into the room for three winters. The brick above the opening was black with soot, and the homeowner had stopped using it. We found two problems: the smoke chamber throat was too tight from decades of refractory degradation, and the damper was rusted open ¾ inch, killing the updraft. We parged the smoke chamber throat to proper NFPA dimensions, replaced the damper with a new cast-iron unit, and cleaned the face brick with a non-acidic restoration cleaner. The fire draws clean now. No more smoke in the room. We showed them the throat measurement on camera before parging and the flame pattern after. Written price: $890. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies if draft issues return.
Want Results Like These?
Every job you see here started with a camera inspection, a written price, and a documented photo record. That’s not marketing. It’s Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, and we’ve done it on all 38,000 chimneys since 2009. Call (856) 741-9572. A live person answers, 24 hours a day. We’ll schedule your NFPA 211 Level 2 inspection, show you what we find on camera, and give you a written price before any work starts. No exceptions. Free Second Opinion available on any competitor’s written estimate.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Camden, serving Camden since 2009.