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 Leesburg, VA
We’ve cleaned chimneys across Leesburg since 1984, from Creighton’s Corner to the historic district near Tutt Lane. Photos don’t lie. What follows are the actual conditions we encounter in Loudoun County homes, the work we performed, and how the system looked when we finished. Russell Haines and our team document every job with camera footage you can see for yourself.
Recent Transformations
Stage 3 Creosote Removal, Ashburn Farm Area
The homeowner near Ashburn Farm smelled something acrid every time the fireplace ran. Our Level-2 camera inspection revealed Stage 3 glazed creosote, a hardened, tar-like deposit that can’t be removed with standard brushes. We applied professional-grade creosote modifier, followed it with mechanical rotary cleaning, and ran the camera again. The flue tiles were intact, the draft tested properly, and the homeowner received photos of both conditions plus a written verdict: safe to burn.
Fireplace Smoke Stain Restoration, Historic Leesburg Near Market Street
A century-old home near Market Street had blackened brickwork above the firebox that the owner assumed was permanent. We traced the cause to a combination of a partially blocked flue and negative air pressure from a recently renovated kitchen exhaust. We swept the flue, adjusted the damper operation, and used a masonry-safe cleaning compound on the brick. The staining lifted. The real fix was identifying why it happened, so it wouldn’t return the following winter.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuild, Lansdowne on the Potomac
Water was entering the flue of a Lansdowne home every time a Virginia thunderstorm rolled through. The crown had hairline cracks that widened each freeze-thaw cycle, and there was no cap to deflect rain. We removed the deteriorated crown, poured a new concrete crown with a proper drip edge, and installed a Gelco stainless steel cap with integrated mesh. The flue was already showing early spalling from moisture damage. Caught when we did, the liner itself was still serviceable. Wait another season and the repair would have been a full liner replacement.
HeatShield Flue Resurfacing, CountrySide Community
The CountrySide homeowner called after a home inspector flagged “suspect flue condition” during a resale inspection. Our camera showed spalled flue tiles with gaps large enough to let combustion gases reach the chimney structure. A full stainless liner would have worked, but the flue was straight and the damage was surface-level. We recommended HeatShield cerfractory resurfacing, a product we apply with specialized pumping equipment and verify with a post-application video scan. The result is a smooth, continuous flue surface rated to 2900°F. The sale closed. The new owners have a written 90-Day Done Right Promise and a copy of the scan.
Prefabricated Fireplace Deep Clean, Raspberry Falls
A prefabricated fireplace in Raspberry Falls was producing sooty glass and a weak flame that the owner thought meant a gas pressure problem. The actual issue was simpler and more common: years of ash compaction in the firebox corners and a clogged combustion air intake below the unit. Prefab units have specific clearances and factory-built air channels that standard brushes can’t always reach. We disassembled the accessible panels, cleaned the firebox to manufacturer specs, cleared the intake, and reassembled. The flame pattern normalized immediately. No parts needed. No upsell. Just a system restored to how it was designed to run.
Chimney Swift Nest Removal and Cap Installation, Near Morven Park
A property near Morven Park had a chimney that smelled like a barn every humid July afternoon. Chimney swifts had nested in the flue the previous spring, and the accumulated debris plus droppings created both an odor problem and a partial blockage. We removed the nesting material, performed a full sweep, and installed a Famco stainless steel cap with mesh sized to exclude swifts while maintaining proper draft. In Leesburg, we see this every season. Swifts are protected during nesting, so timing matters. We handled this in late August, after the young had fledged, which is both legal and effective.
Want Results Like These?
Every project here reflects our actual process: camera inspection, photo documentation, a plain-English verdict, and work done with professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. We’re licensed and insured, our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, and most jobs finish in a single visit. Call (571) 701-7519 to schedule your Level-2 inspection. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, every day. Estimates are free, pricing is upfront, and everything we do is backed by our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Leesburg since 1984.