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 Ewing, NJ
We’ve cleaned chimneys across Ewing since 1984, from the ranch homes near Shabakunk Creek to the colonials off Scotch Road. Photos don’t lie. Below you’ll see what creosote buildup actually looks like, what a proper sweep removes, and how a Level-2 camera inspection changes what you know about your own chimney. These are real jobs, real conditions, real results.
Recent Transformations
Stage 3 Creosote Removal, Mountainview Section
The homeowner in Ewing’s Mountainview neighborhood burned seasoned oak all winter but hadn’t swept the flue in six years. We found Stage 3 glazed creosote, the kind that sparks chimney fires, coating a stainless Olympia Chimney liner. Our rotary sweep with professional-grade poly brushes broke the glaze, and the vacuum pulled out roughly 18 pounds of material. Camera inspection afterward showed bare metal, full airflow, and no hidden cracks. The homeowner watched the photos on our tablet as we talked through what we’d found.
Firebox Smoke Staining & Draft Correction, Parkway Village Area
A family near Parkway Village called us convinced they needed a new liner because smoke kept puffing into their living room. Russell Haines ran the camera first, which is how we work, and found the real problem: a damper rusted 30% open and a flue cap clogged with squirrel nesting. We cleared the cap, swapped the damper for a Gelco replacement, and swept the flue. No liner needed. No upsell. Just the right fix, documented with photos they could see for themselves.
Clay Flue Tile Debris & Bird Nest, Brae Burn Park Vicinity
Spring in Ewing means starlings nesting in uncapped chimneys. This 1960s colonial near Brae Burn Park had a partially collapsed nest blocking two of three flue tiles, with the homeowner smelling wood smoke in the upstairs hallway. We extracted the nest, ran a mechanical sweep to clear the clay, and found minor spalling on one tile. The camera showed it all. We installed a Copperfield cap to prevent return visitors and gave the homeowner a plain-English verdict: sweep annually, monitor that tile, no immediate rebuild needed. Photos in hand, they could make an informed choice.
Prefabricated Fireplace Flue Restriction, Prospect Heights
Prefabricated fireplaces in Ewing’s Prospect Heights area need a lighter touch than masonry, but they still need actual cleaning. This homeowner’s factory-built metal flue had never been swept in 12 years of ownership, and the unit was cycling off on safety limit during normal burns. We used soft-bristle methods specified for metal flues, cleared roughly a quarter-inch of soot buildup, and tested draft pressure before and after. The difference was 18 pascals to 34 pascals. We showed the numbers, showed the flue, and the homeowner finally understood why their fireplace had been underperforming.
Chimney Cap Failure & Water Damage, Ewingville Historic District
Water kills chimneys faster than fire in Ewing’s climate, with freeze-thaw cycles from November through March. This Ewingville home had a concrete crown cracked clean through and a galvanized cap rusted to lace. Water had been running down the flue for two seasons, leaving white efflorescence on the smoke chamber walls. We swept the flue, sealed the crown with HeatShield CrownCoat, and installed a proper Gelco cap with 3/4-inch mesh. The camera run afterward showed dry walls and no active leaks. The homeowner got photos of the crack, the repair, and the dry result, plus our note to recheck in two years.
Multi-Flue Sweep & Level-2 Inspection, Sherbrooke Estates
A Sherbrooke Estates homeowner had just bought the house and didn’t know which flue served which appliance, a common find in Ewing’s 1970s splits. We swept both flues, ran the camera through each, and mapped the connections: one flue to the basement oil furnace, one to the living room fireplace, with an abandoned thimble on the second floor from a long-removed wood stove. The photos showed them exactly what they owned. We labeled the cleanouts, wrote up the configuration, and they finally had a chimney they understood. No guessing, no surprises when the home inspector comes back in five years.
Want Results Like These?
Every job above started with a call to (856) 388-5580, answered by a live person. We’ll book your sweep, show up in uniform, and run the camera so you see what we see. Our 90-Day Done Right Promise means if anything’s not right, we come back, in writing, no arguing. A square deal: no surprises on the bill. Call (856) 388-5580 for your Ewing chimney cleaning, or ask about our $89 Seasonal Tune-Up if your system’s been idle since last winter.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Ewing since 1984.