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 Santa Clara, CA
Photos don’t lie. We’ve cleaned and inspected over 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and the camera tells the story every time. Below you’ll see what we actually find in Santa Clara homes, what we do about it, and what the flue looks like when we’re done. Every project includes a documented photo record under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal - Santa Clara Duplex Near Westwood Oaks
The homeowner hadn’t had the flue swept in eleven years. When we ran the camera, the entire clay flue liner was coated with Class III creosote, a hardened, tar-like layer that looks like burnt pancake batter and can fuel a chimney fire above 2,000°F. We used a rotary chain system to break the glaze, followed by a HEPA vacuum sweep. The after photos show bare terracotta with the liner joints fully visible. Written scope, written price, and the photo record were delivered before we started, per Haven Standard Clause 1.
Smoke Chamber Parging - Ranch Home Near Rivermark
The smoke chamber, the area above the firebox that funnels smoke into the flue, was built with corbeled brick - stepped layers that create turbulence and let creosote collect in the corners. In Santa Clara’s mild winters, people burn fewer fires but burn them longer when they do, which actually produces more incomplete combustion and heavier creosote in the smoke chamber. We applied Smoke Chamber Seal by HeatShield to smooth the walls to the 10-inch maximum depth required by code. The camera footage before and after shows the difference in airflow geometry. The homeowner walked away with photos, video, and a written warranty.
Stainless Liner Pull and Re-Sweep - Eichler-Style Home Near Fairgrounds
This Santa Clara Eichler had a flexible stainless steel flue liner installed years ago for a gas conversion, but the top connection had slipped, leaving a gap where combustion gases were cooling in the chimney cavity. We pulled the liner, cleaned the spalling mortar debris from the chimney interior - spalling is when freeze-thaw cycles cause brick faces to flake off, though in Santa Clara’s climate it’s usually moisture intrusion from failed crown flashing - and reseated the liner with a new top plate from Olympia Chimney. The after photos show the liner properly tensioned and the draft reading within spec. We also found the crown was cracked, documented it, and gave the homeowner a separate written price for crown repair with no pressure to book.
Firebox Refractory Panel Replacement - Townhome Near Central Expressway
The factory-built refractory panels in this prefab firebox had hairline cracks that had widened after repeated thermal cycling. The panels are the heat shield between your fire and the wood framing of your house; once compromised, they need replacement, not patching. We sourced matching panels through Haven’s buying network and installed them to the manufacturer’s clearance specs. The before photos show the crack pattern; the after photos show clean panel seams and the proper gap dimensions documented with a tape measure in frame. This is the kind of job where a competitor might try to sell a full fireplace insert instead - we gave a Free Second Opinion on the previous quote, and the panels alone were the right fix.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuild - Single-Story Near Santa Clara University
The concrete crown, the slab that tops the chimney and sheds water, had eroded to the point that the steel mesh underneath was exposed and rusting. Water was running straight down the flue, which in Santa Clara’s winter rain pattern means months of saturated masonry every season. We formed and poured a new crown with a proper drip edge - the overhang that keeps water from wicking down the brick face - and installed a stainless steel chimney cap with 5/8-inch mesh from Gelco to keep out birds and debris. The before photos show the rust stain pattern on the brick; the after photos show the water-shedding geometry from multiple angles. The materials came through Haven’s network, which keeps the price honest without the markup of retail sourcing.
Prefabricated Chimney Chase Top Replacement - Condo Complex Near Lawrence Expressway
The chase top on this prefabricated chimney was original galvanized steel, fifteen years old, and rusted through at the corners. A chase top is the roof of your chimney chase; when it fails, water destroys the chimney from the inside out. We measured the chase and ordered a custom stainless steel chase top with a cross-break - the raised X pattern that prevents water pooling - and a proper collar around the flue pipe. The before photos show the rust holes and the water damage to the surrounding siding; the after photos show the fabricated piece with welded seams and the Haven Standard photo tag in the corner of the frame. The condo association had three other identical units; we gave them written prices for all three with no deposit required to hold the scope.
Want Results Like These?
Every job above started the same way: a call to (650) 229-6358, answered by a live person. We book a time, show up in uniform with a named technician, and deliver a written price before any work starts - Haven Standard Clause 1, no exceptions. The camera inspection and photo record are included, not sold as an upgrade. If you’ve got a written estimate from someone else, we’ll give you a Free Second Opinion. And if anything we do isn’t right, we make it right under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Call (650) 229-6358 or book online. We’re in Santa Clara, we’re background-checked and uniformed, and we’ll text you when we’re on the way.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Emberly Chimney Cleaners Santa Clara, serving Santa Clara since 2009.