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 Cambridge, MA
We’ve cleaned chimneys in Cambridge since 1984. These are the jobs that stick with us - the ones where a homeowner finally sees what was actually going on up there. No sales pitch needed. The photos speak, and Russell Haines explains what you’re looking at in plain English.
Recent Transformations
Heavy Creosote Buildup - Mid-Cambridge Triple-Decker
The homeowner on Pearl Street smelled something acrid every time they ran their fireplace. We found glazed creosote, a quarter-inch thick, choking a 1960s terracotta flue. That’s a chimney fire waiting for a spark. Our Cambridge crew rotary-cleaned it with professional-grade equipment, ran a camera the full length, and showed them the before-and-after frames side by side. They hadn’t seen clean flue tiles since they bought the place. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the sweep - if anything flakes loose, we come back. In writing, no arguing.
Blocked Chimney Cap - North Cambridge Colonial
Squirrels had packed the space between cap and flue with leaves and shredded insulation. The North Cambridge homeowner thought their fireplace “just didn’t draw well.” What they had was a blocked exhaust vent dumping smoke into the living room. We cleared the cap, inspected the flue for damage from the backup, and fitted a proper spark arrestor. Most jobs we finish in a single visit. This one took two hours, and they watched the camera feed while we worked. Photos you can see, a plain-English verdict - that’s how Russell Haines runs every Cambridge inspection.
Cracked Flue Liner - Harvard Square Rental Unit
A property manager near Harvard Square called us after their tenant reported “a weird smell from the fireplace.” Camera inspection showed cracked clay tiles and a deteriorated smoke chamber - carbon monoxide could seep through those gaps into the second-floor bedroom. We documented everything with timestamped photos, applied HeatShield cerfractory flue sealant, and parged the smoke chamber smooth. Nothing gets recommended without camera evidence the owner can see for themselves. In this case, the work couldn’t wait. We scheduled around their tenants, finished in one day, and left the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing on the kitchen counter.
Water-Damaged Firebox - Cambridgeport Condo Conversion
The Cambridgeport condo association inherited a chimney that hadn’t been opened in fifteen years. Water had been entering through a flat, cracked crown for so long that the rear firebox wall was spalling - brick faces popping off from freeze-thaw cycles. We rebuilt the firebox with proper firebrick, installed a sloped concrete crown with drip edge, and flashed the transition to the siding correctly. The old crown was basically a birdbath sitting on top of their chimney. Now water runs off. We use professional-grade materials - DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield - no builder-grade substitutes that’ll fail in five Cambridge winters.
Animal Nesting in Unused Flue - West Cambridge Victorian
The West Cambridge homeowner hadn’t used their upstairs fireplace since they moved in. When they finally opened the damper for an inspection, a shower of twigs and dried grass fell into the firebox. Chimney swifts had nested there for multiple seasons. We cleared the material carefully - they’re protected during breeding season, so timing matters - and installed a top-sealing damper to prevent re-entry. The flue itself was sound, which we confirmed with camera. Sometimes the right call is a simple fix with the right part. No upsell, just the finding and what it means. That’s how we’ve operated in Cambridge for over 42 years.
Exterior Staining and Odor - East Cambridge Rowhouse
Black streaks were running down the brick between floors on an East Cambridge rowhouse. The owner thought it was roof runoff. It was flue gases escaping through a breached liner and condensing on the exterior masonry. We ran the camera, found the breach at a joint where the liner had shifted, and resolved it with proper relining. The staining stopped, the odd smell in the second-floor closet disappeared, and their heating system stopped working so hard to maintain draft. Cambridge’s freeze-thaw cycles punish marginal work. We don’t do marginal work. Done right - and we stand behind it.
Want Results Like These?
Every chimney in Cambridge tells a different story. We’ll show you yours with a Level-2 camera inspection, explain what you’re looking at in plain English, and give you a no-hassle upfront price before any work starts. The number on the estimate is the number on the invoice. Call (857) 392-4709 - a live person answers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’ll be there when we say.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Cambridge since 1984.