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 Bristol, CT
A clean flue looks like clean work. The before photos below are the honest part: glazed creosote, nests, rusted caps, liners flaking apart. The after photos are what we leave behind. Same angle, same light, no filters. We’ve kept a camera on the truck since long before it was trendy, because Wendell has always figured you should see what he saw. Ask anyone on your street.
Recent Transformations
First-Degree to Third-Degree Creosote Removal in Forestville
The homeowner burned unseasoned wood for two winters and the flue showed it. First-degree creosote is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze. This one sat right on the line. Wendell and his crew ran a rotary whip with nylon strands up through the smoke shelf, then scrubbed the firebox by hand. The camera footage showed shiny clay liner at the end, and the homeowner kept a copy of the stills.
Squirrel Nest Blocking a Chimney in Federal Hill
No smoke draw, and the smell in the living room was sour. The sweep who showed up at your door found a squirrel nest packed four feet down from the flue tile, with a family of them still in residence. We removed the nest, swept the full length, and capped the flue with a Copperfield cap so the squirrels wouldn’t be back in October. The draft returned that same evening.
Glazed Creosote and a Cracked Flue Tile in Chippens Hill
The chimney had survived a chimney fire the previous winter, and the tile was cracked in two places. Nobody had looked since. We removed the glazed creosote with a chemical treatment followed by a thorough sweep, then recommended a HeatShield liner repair rather than a full rebuild. The camera footage and a plain-English verdict every time, no exceptions. The homeowner watched the video standing in the kitchen and approved the liner repair on the spot.
Rusted Chimney Cap and Crown on a 1970s Ranch in the West End
The cap was rusted through in three spots and the crown had hairline cracks you could slide a quarter into. Water had been getting into the attic for at least a year. We pulled the old cap, repointed the top three courses, and poured a new Gelco crown, then finished it with a stainless Olympia cap. One rainy week later, the homeowner called to say the attic smelled dry for the first time since they bought the place.
Clay Liner Flaking Apart in a 1920s Colonial Near Page Park
A home inspector flagged the liner, and the seller called us for a second opinion. The clay tiles were spalling, which is a polite word for falling apart in chunks. We gave the homeowner a free second opinion on the inspector’s written estimate, then installed a DuraFlex stainless liner in one afternoon. The whole job carried the 90-Day Done Right Promise stamped on the invoice, and Wendell put his name on it, same as every other job since 1999.
Heavy Soot Buildup on a Wood Stove Flue in Edgewood
The stove pipe had a quarter inch of soft soot from burning pine all winter. We pulled the stove pipe, brushed the full run, and vacuumed out the stove itself with a HEPA filter running the whole time. No soot on the floor, no smell in the house. Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too.
Want Results Like These?
Point is, every one of these jobs started with a phone call and ended with a camera feed showing what changed. No-hassle upfront pricing before a single tool comes off the truck. Calls answered by a live person, 24/7, and it may well be Wendell himself picking up. Call (860) 743-7743 to book your sweep or repair in Bristol.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Bristol and surrounding communities since 1999.