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.
Caps & crowns
Masonry repair
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterChimney Cleaning Before & After in Marietta, GA
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and we’ve photographed every single one. The difference between a neglected flue and a properly swept system isn’t subtle. It’s the kind of thing you need to see to believe, and the kind of thing you don’t want to discover the hard way during a January cold snap in East Cobb.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal, Indian Hills
The homeowner smelled something acrid every time they ran their gas logs. Our camera scan showed Class III glazed creosote, a hard, tar-like deposit that forms when smoke condenses in a cool flue. It’s the most combustible form of creosote and the hardest to remove. We ran mechanical whips and poly brushes from top to bottom, then hit the glazed sections with a creosote modifier. The flue liner was clean to bare metal when we finished. Clause 4 of the Haven Standard required us to hand over 23 photos and the camera footage. Total cost: $285, quoted in writing before we started.
Smoke Chamber Parging & Firebox Restoration, Whitlock Heights
The smoke chamber, the area above the firebox that funnels smoke into the flue, was corbelled brick with gaps you could slide a pencil into. That’s a code violation under NFPA 211 and a real hazard, since irregular surfaces trap creosote and slow draft. We parged the entire smoke chamber with HeatShield Cerfractory Foam, smoothing it to a proper parabolic shape. The firebox got tuckpointing where the mortar had turned to sand. The homeowner walked away with before-and-after photos, a written scope, and a written warranty under our 365-Day Done Right Promise. The job ran $1,840. We told them the exact number before we unloaded a single tool.
Chimney Cap Replacement & Crown Seal, Powers Ferry Landing
Water had been getting in for years. The old galvanized cap was rusted through at the mesh, and the concrete crown beneath it was spalling, chunks flaking off where freeze-thaw cycles had done their work. Marietta’s clay-heavy soil doesn’t help, crown cracks let water straight into the chimney structure. We pulled the old cap, ground the crown back to sound concrete, applied a flexible crown seal, and installed a Gelco stainless steel cap with 5/8-inch mesh. No more water, no more critters. The written price was $675, and the photo record showed every stage.
Flue Liner Relining with DuraFlex, Fair Oaks
The clay flue tiles were cracked diagonally and shifted off each other, likely from a chimney fire the owner didn’t know they’d had. We found scorch marks on the surrounding brick and a hairline crack running three courses up. A damaged flue liner lets heat and combustion gases into the chimney walls, that’s how house fires start. We pulled a DuraFlex 316Ti stainless steel liner through the existing flue, connected it to a new top plate and collar, and ran a camera verification from top to bottom. The job was $3,200. We also told them which parts could wait, the exterior pointing wasn’t urgent, and we put that in writing too.
Annual Sweep & Level 2 Inspection, Downtown Marietta Historic District
This was a routine annual sweep on a 1920s bungalow near the Square, the kind of maintenance that prevents the expensive jobs. The flue had standard soot accumulation, maybe a quarter-inch, nothing alarming. We rotary-brushed the flue, cleaned the smoke shelf, and ran a full Level 2 inspection per NFPA 211, camera scan, accessible interior, exterior evaluation. The masonry was sound, the damper operated cleanly, the crown had one hairline crack we sealed for $85. Total for sweep, inspection, and minor seal: $245. They got 18 photos, the camera footage, and a written condition report. We’ll see them next October.
Fireplace Insert Removal & Hearth Restoration, West Cobb Border
The previous homeowner had installed a fireplace insert without a proper liner connection, smoke was leaking into the chase cavity and staining the exterior brick. We removed the insert, inspected the original firebox for integrity, and restored the open hearth with correct clearances to combustibles. The damper needed rebuilding, we fabricated a new throat plate. Once it was drawing properly, we smoke-tested the system with a blower door to confirm negative pressure wouldn’t pull exhaust back into the room. The full restoration was $1,450. We also offered a Free Second Opinion on a competitor’s $2,800 quote for the same scope. They’d have paid more for less documentation.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a written price, a written scope, and a written warranty. No exceptions. Call (470) 288-2763 and you’ll reach a live person, 24 hours a day. We’ll schedule your NFPA 211 Level 2 inspection, include the camera scan and photo record at no extra charge, and show you exactly what your chimney looks like before we recommend a thing.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Emberly Chimney Cleaners Marietta, serving Marietta since 2009.