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 Fairfield, CT
We’ve been cleaning chimneys in Fairfield since 1984, and we still believe the best proof isn’t what we say - it’s what you can see for yourself. These are real jobs we’ve completed across town, from Greenfield Hill to Southport, documented with photos our customers can review themselves. The difference between a neglected flue and a clean, safe system is dramatic, and it matters more than most homeowners realize until they see it.
Recent Transformations
Heavy Creosote Buildup, Greenfield Hill Colonial
The homeowner in Greenfield Hill had burned cordwood for three seasons without a sweep. Our camera inspection showed glazed creosote nearly a quarter-inch thick in spots - the kind that ignites at lower temperatures and burns hot enough to crack flue tiles. We used rotary chain whips and professional-grade solvents to break down the glaze, then ran a Level-2 camera inspection to confirm the flue was clean from smoke chamber to cap. The system passed inspection, and we documented everything with photos the homeowner could see for herself. No guesswork, no “trust us” - just a clean flue and a plain-English verdict.
Blocked Flue from Animal Nesting, Stratfield Neighborhood
A family near Stratfield High School called in late October when smoke started backing up into their living room. We found a squirrel nest packed from the smoke chamber to within two feet of the cap - classic Fairfield scenario, especially with the mature oaks in that neighborhood providing easy highway access to rooflines. We cleared the nest by hand and with specialized tools, inspected for damage to the clay liner, and installed a proper Gelco stainless steel cap with mesh screening. Most jobs like this we finish in a single visit, which we did here. The family had their first fire that evening.
Smoke Chamber Corrosion, Southport Waterfront Home
Southport’s proximity to Long Island Sound means salt air accelerates mortar deterioration, and this thirty-year-old masonry fireplace showed it. The smoke chamber - the area above the damper that funnels smoke into the flue - had lost most of its original parging, leaving rough, corbeled brick that trapped creosote and disrupted draft. We don’t just sweep and leave when we find this. We resurfaced the chamber with HeatShield Cerfractory Foam, a professional-grade refractory product that smooths the path for smoke and reduces future creosote accumulation. The camera inspection afterward showed a surface as smooth as the day the chimney was built, and we put those photos in the homeowner’s hands with a written report.
Factory-Built Chimney Neglect, Tunxis Hill Area
Factory-built chimneys are common in Fairfield’s 1980s and 90s construction, and they’re often misunderstood. This homeowner near Tunxis Hill thought the metal “box” on his roof was maintenance-free. It wasn’t. The original galvanized chase cap had rusted through, letting water run down the flue and mix with creosote into a corrosive sludge. We removed the damaged cap, cleaned the stainless steel flue liner with rotary equipment sized for metal systems, and installed a custom-fabricated chase cover with proper drip edges and screening. We use Olympia Chimney and Famco components for these jobs because they hold up to Fairfield’s freeze-thaw cycles. The siding stains cleaned off, and more importantly, the system was safe for another season.
Fireplace Insert with Improper Connection, Jennings Beach Vicinity
A couple who’d recently purchased near Jennings Beach called us for what they thought was a routine sweep. Our Level-2 inspection revealed their new wood insert was venting into a masonry flue three times too large for it, with a four-inch gap at the connection point. This is how carbon monoxide seeps into living spaces, and it’s more common than it should be in Fairfield’s older housing stock. We installed a DuraFlex stainless steel liner properly sized to the insert, connected it with an approved appliance adapter, and supported it correctly at the top. The installation passed local inspection requirements, and we left them with photos showing the before condition, the work in progress, and the final connection. Nothing was recommended that they couldn’t see for themselves.
Chimney Cap and Crown Failure, University Area
Homes near Fairfield University see a lot of rental turnover, and maintenance records often don’t travel with the lease. This chimney hadn’t been inspected in over a decade. The concrete crown had cracked so extensively that water was running directly onto the exposed flue tiles, causing spalling and freeze-thaw damage. We repaired the crown with Copperfield crown seal compound, properly sloped to shed water, and installed a new cap with adequate overhang to protect the crown itself. The flue got a full sweep and camera inspection, revealing some tile damage that we’ll monitor annually. We told the owner plainly: this work couldn’t wait another season, but the liner replacement some companies might push wasn’t yet necessary. Photos don’t lie, and neither do we.
Want Results Like These?
Every job here was completed by background-checked, uniformed technicians using professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. We document our work with camera inspections and photos you can see, and we back everything with our 90-Day Done Right Promise - in writing, no arguing. If you’re in Fairfield, Greenfield Hill, Southport, Stratfield, or anywhere in between, call (475) 251-7537. A live person answers every call, every day, every hour. We’ll be there when we say, and the number on the estimate is the number on the invoice. A square deal: no surprises on the bill.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Fairfield since 1984.