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 Rockville, MD
Photos show what promises can’t. When we open a flue in Rockville, we photograph what we find before a brush touches it, then photograph it again after. That’s the 90-Day Done Right Promise in visual form. Below are representative projects from homes around Montgomery County: the problem we found, what we did, and what the chimney looked like when we left. Every image is captioned by job type, so you know exactly what you’re looking at.
Recent Transformations
First-Degree Creosote Removal, Twinbrook
The before footage showed a velvet-black coating running the full length of the flue, thick enough to feel gritty but not yet glazed. Wendell’s crew ran the wire brush from the roof down and the soot-vac from the firebox up. The after shot shows bare terra cotta liner, the way it looked when the house was built. First-degree creosote is a brush job. This one never gets the chance to turn into something worse.
Third-Degree Glaze Removal, King Farm
This Rockville flue had gone years between sweeps, and the creosote had hardened into a shiny, tar-like glaze. A standard brush won’t move it. We applied a chemical treatment to break the bond, then returned to remove the loosened material. The after footage shows the liner’s surface again, not a mirror of baked-on fuel. Third-degree is a glaze. Catch it early.
Chimney Cap with 2 Inches of Soot, East Rockville
Cold air meeting warm exhaust had caked soot onto the inside of this cap until the mesh was nearly sealed. The homeowner noticed smoke backing into the living room. We removed the cap, cleaned every seam, and re-secured it. The after photo shows light through the mesh again. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes.
Fireplace Smoke Chamber Cleanout, Woodley Gardens
The smoke chamber hides above the damper. In this Rockville home, it had collected decades of soot, leaf fragments, and one abandoned bird’s nest. Photo one shows the debris; photo two shows the chamber walls, scraped and vacuumed clean. The homeowner said the fireplace drew better that night than it had in years.
Chimney Liner Before and After, Derwood
Our camera found a vertical crack running through two flue tiles, invisible from the rooftop. The before image shows the crack plain as day. We quoted the repair with the footage attached, and the homeowner made an informed decision, not a leap of faith. The after shows the smooth, continuous stainless liner from DuraFlex. The camera footage and a plain-English verdict, every time, no exceptions.
Chimney Crown Reseal, North Potomac
Water had found every hairline crack in this crown and started working into the brick below. The before photo shows a crown that looks like a dried-up lake bed. We cleaned the surface, filled the cracks, and sealed the whole crown with a breathable waterproofer. The after photo shows one smooth, dark surface. Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too.
Want Results Like These?
Ask anyone on your street. Chances are someone nearby has already had Top Hat Chimney out. Call (240) 716-5865 and you’ll get a live person, upfront pricing, and a real arrival window. If it’s not done right in 90 days, one call brings Wendell back. No trip charge inside the county.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Rockville since 1999.