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
AfterChimney Cleaning Before & After in Sandy Springs, GA
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and we’ve photographed every one. The gallery below shows what we actually find in Sandy Springs flues, what it takes to fix it, and what documented clean looks like under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard. No stock photos. No staging. Just the work.
Recent Transformations
Class III Creosote Removal, Riverside
The homeowner in Riverside smelled something acrid every time the furnace cycled. We ran a camera up the flue and found glazed Class III creosote, a tar-like buildup that’s literally baked onto the liner surface and can’t be brushed off with standard tools. We used rotary chain whips and chemical creosote modifier over two passes, then camera-scanned to verify bare liner. Written price before we started: $385. Photo record delivered same day. No smell since.
Smoke Chamber Parging, Dunwoody Panhandle
This Dunwoody Panhandle fireplace smoked into the living room on windy days. The smoke chamber, the area above the damper that funnels smoke into the flue, was corbeled, meaning stepped brick with gaps and exposed mortar joints. Smoke eddied in those corners instead of rising. We parged the chamber with HeatShield cerfractory foam, a refractory material that creates a smooth, sloped surface. Camera inspection before and after. Written scope: smoke chamber parging, $1,150. No more smoke roll-out.
Flue Liner Debris Blockage, North Springs
North Springs call: water dripping into the firebox after a storm. We found a partially collapsed clay flue liner with broken shards stacked like a dam, trapping condensation and roof runoff. Cleared the debris by hand and vacuum, then ran the camera the full length. The remaining liner had three vertical cracks but was structurally sound for a stainless steel relining, which we quoted separately. This cleaning and assessment: $295. The homeowner had photos of every crack before we left.
Animal Nest and Cap Replacement, ITP Perimeter
Squirrel nest, packed tight as insulation, in a flue that hadn’t been used in two years. The chimney cap was rusted through, mesh gone. We removed the nest, brushed the flue, and installed a Gelco stainless steel cap with 3/4-inch mesh, which is what Georgia code requires for spark arresting. Written price for cleaning plus cap: $475. Third raccoon this month, same chimney cap problem, different animal. The fix is the same every time.
Prefabricated Fireplace Flue Cleaning, Spalding Woods
Spalding Woods homeowner had a factory-built fireplace, the metal-box type common in 1990s Sandy Springs construction. These use a metal flue liner, not clay, and the clearance to combustibles is engineered tight. Heavy soot reduced the flue diameter and was pushing exhaust gases into the living space. We used poly brushes, not wire, to protect the metal. Carbon monoxide reading at the firebox face: 4 ppm before, zero after. Cleaning: $265. Manufacturer spec cited on the written record.
Crown Crack and Spalling Brick, Sandy Springs Proper
Sandy Springs proper, near the old springs themselves, water intrusion through a cracked chimney crown. The crown is the concrete slab that caps the brick; this one had a hairline crack that widened every freeze-thaw cycle. Below it, brick faces were spalling, meaning the hard outer layer was flaking off from water saturation. We repaired the crown with CrownCoat flexible sealant, sealed the spalled brick with silane-siloxane water repellent, and cleaned the flue while we were on the roof. Combined scope: $890. Photo record shows the crack sealed, the brick dry, the flue bare.
What You Get on Every Job
- Written price before work starts, every time, no exceptions. Clause 1 of the Haven Standard.
- Camera-scan inspection (NFPA 211 Level 2) included. We show you what we see.
- Documented photo record on completion. Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, practiced since 2009.
- 365-Day Done Right Promise. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
- Free Second Opinion on any competitor’s written estimate.
BeforeAfterWant Results Like These?
Call (470) 480-0885. A live person answers, 24 hours a day. We’ll book your inspection, quote your cleaning in writing before anyone touches your chimney, and deliver the photo record to prove it was done. Serving Sandy Springs and 20 surrounding communities since 2009.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Emberly Chimney Cleaners Sandy Springs, serving Sandy Springs since 2009.