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 Tacoma, WA
Photos don’t lie. A flue liner coated in glazed creosote looks nothing like one that’s been properly swept, and the difference between a cracked crown and a sealed one is obvious once you see it side by side. We’ve documented every job since 2009, and these are the kinds of transformations we deliver across Tacoma neighborhoods.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal, North End Tacoma
The homeowner in North End Tacoma smelled smoke in the upstairs hallway every time they ran their fireplace. Our camera scan showed Class III glazed creosote, a hard, tar-like deposit that forms when wood burns too cool and creosote condenses in layers, baked on by repeated firings. Standard brushing won’t touch it. We used a rotary chain system to fracture the glaze, followed by a HEPA-controlled sweep and a second camera pass to verify the flue liner was clean to bare terra cotta. The smoke odor stopped that evening. Clause 4 of the Haven Standard required the photo record, which we delivered with a written scope and warranty.
Smoke Chamber Parging & Firebox Restoration, Proctor District
A Proctor District bungalow built in 1924 had a smoke chamber, the area above the firebox that funnels smoke into the flue, eroded to exposed brick with gaps you could slide a pencil into. That’s a clearance violation and a fire hazard, since hot gases and sparks can escape into surrounding framing. We parged the smoke chamber with Chamber-Tech 2000, an insulating refractory mix that restores proper geometry and reduces creosote adhesion. The firebox got tuckpointing with matching mortar. The camera footage before and after is in their file, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the work.
Chimney Cap & Crown Replacement, Stadium District
The Stadium District homeowner had water stains on their living room ceiling every winter. The concrete crown, the slab that tops the chimney and sheds water, was spalling, meaning the surface was flaking and cracking from freeze-thaw cycles common in Tacoma’s wet winters. The galvanized cap had rusted through. We formed and poured a new crown with proper overhang and drip edge, then installed a stainless steel Gelco cap with mesh screening. No more water, and the stainless won’t rust out in five years like the last one. Written price before we started: $1,340. Photo record included under Haven Standard Clause 4.
Stainless Steel Liner Installation, Lakewood Border (Tacoma Service Area)
This was a gas-to-wood conversion on a home near the Lakewood border, and the existing terra cotta flue liner had vertical cracks and a missing tile at the first offset. You can’t vent wood smoke through cracked tile, carbon monoxide and creosote can leak into wall cavities. We installed a DuraFlex 316Ti stainless steel liner, which is flexible enough to navigate offsets but rated for wood-burning temperatures. The top plate seals to the crown, and the bottom connects to a new stainless steel thimble. Camera scan confirmed full perimeter seal before we closed up. The written scope specified exactly what materials we’d use and why, and the photo record shows every connection point.
Chimney Sweep & Cricket Installation, West Slope Tacoma
The chimney on this West Slope home sat on the downhill side of a steep roof pitch with no cricket, the small peaked diversion that keeps water from pooling on the uphill side. Water had been saturating the masonry for years, accelerating deterioration and making the flue impossible to keep clean, debris washed in every storm. We swept the flue, then fabricated and installed a custom copper cricket with integrated step flashing. Copper weathers to a green patina that matches Tacoma’s damp climate, and it’ll outlast galvanized by decades. The sweep and the cricket were separate line items in the written quote, both done in one day.
HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Resurfacing, Northeast Tacoma
Northeast Tacoma has a lot of mid-century brick chimneys with clay flue liners that are structurally sound but surface-damaged, flaking, minor gaps between tiles, not enough to justify a full liner replacement but enough to compromise draft and creosote adhesion. This flue had lost about an eighth-inch of surface in patches. We used HeatShield, a cerfractory (ceramic-refractory) resurfacing compound, applied with a custom foam applicator that centers in the flue and spins to deposit an even coat. It cures to a smooth, insulated surface that meets NFPA 211 for open fireplace venting. The camera scan after application shows a continuous surface with no holidays or thin spots. Written warranty: 20 years. Photo record on file under Clause 4.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a camera scan, a written price, and a clear explanation of what we found, not what we think you should worry about. If you’ve got a competitor’s written estimate, we’ll give you a free second opinion. Call (253) 447-5982 to book. Corrine Halstead and our team serve Tacoma and 17 surrounding communities, and a live person answers the phone 24 hours a day.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Tacoma, serving Tacoma since 2009.