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 Financial District, NY
Photos tell the truth faster than any promise can. Below you’ll find real transformations from chimneys we’ve cleaned and repaired in the Financial District, from Battery Park City up to Tribeca’s edge. Every job shown includes the same thing: a written price before work started, and a documented photo record when it was done. That’s Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, and it’s been non-negotiable since 2009.
Recent Transformations
Class III Creosote Removal in a Prewar Co-op Flue
This prewar co-op near Exchange Place hadn’t had a sweep in over a decade. The camera scan showed glazed Class III creosote, which is the hardened, tar-like form that doesn’t brush away easily and is the most common cause of chimney fires. We ran a rotary loop with stiff poly brushes, then rescanned the full flue to confirm we were down to bare liner. The before and after photos are what the building manager walked away with, along with a written report.
Flue Liner Restoration After Water Damage on Pine Street
Rain had been getting past a failing crown for at least two seasons, and the terracotta liner was spalling. Spalling means the clay is flaking apart in chunks, which narrows the flue and lets heat reach the surrounding masonry. We cleaned out the debris, sealed the crown, and applied a HeatShield mortar system to rebuild the liner surface. The photos show the difference in cross-section diameter, which translates directly to better draft and a safer burn.
Chimney Cap Replacement on a Rooftop Unit Overlooking Battery Park
The old cap had rusted through, and the mesh was gone, which meant pigeons had been getting in. The flue below was packed with nesting material and droppings, and the draft was nearly dead. We removed the old cap, cleared the nesting debris, swept the flue to remove the acidic droppings from the liner, and installed a new stainless cap from Olympia Chimney. The photos show the clean flue opening and the new cap seated properly, which also keeps rain out going forward.
Smoke Chamber Parging After Years of Gaps on Wall Street
The smoke chamber is the tapered section above the firebox, and in this older Wall Street co-op the mortar joints had been failing for years, leaving open voids. That means heat and gas can reach the surrounding structure instead of going up the flue. We cleaned the chamber, parged it smooth with a high-temperature refractory mortar from Gelco, and rescanned after curing. The photos show a smooth, continuous surface, which is what you want before the next burn season.
Full Chimney Rebuild After Spalling Brick on a Liberty Street Brownstone
This one surprised even me. Corrine Halstead walked the roof and found the top three feet of the stack so badly spalled that the bricks were crumbling in her hand. We tore down to sound masonry, rebuilt with new bricks matched to the building’s color, poured a new concrete crown, and installed new copper flashing. The photos show the clean new stack, but the important part is what’s behind the brick: a properly sized flue and a watertight crown that should hold for decades.
Level 2 Camera Inspection That Caught a Hidden Liner Crack in a Tribeca Loft
The homeowner had only booked a sweep, but our standard Level 2 inspection includes a full-height camera scan. The scan caught a vertical crack in the liner that no one could have seen from either end, and that kind of crack lets carbon monoxide into the wall cavity. We removed the old liner and pulled a new DuraFlex stainless liner in the same day frame, then rescanned. The photos are the evidence, and the homeowner kept them.
Want Results Like These?
Every chimney above got the same thing: a written price before work started, a camera scan during, and a documented photo record after. If your Financial District building has a chimney that hasn’t been looked at in years, now is the time before burn season. Call (551) 213-4778 to book a sweep and Level 2 inspection. The estimate is in writing before anything begins.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Financial District, serving the Financial District since 2009.