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 Olympia, WA
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and we’ve photographed every one. The camera doesn’t lie. Below are real jobs from around Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater, documented under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard. You can see the creosote buildup, the cracked flue liners, the water damage, and what it looks like when it’s fixed right.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal, South Capitol Neighborhood
The homeowner on Columbia Street smelled something acrid every time they ran the fireplace. We found Class III glazed creosote, a baked-on tar deposit that’s basically chimney fuel, choking a stainless steel flue liner down to a 4-inch passage. We used rotary chain whips and mechanical brushing to break the glaze, then ran a Level 2 camera scan to confirm the liner was intact. They got their written price before we started, the photo record after, and a flue that drafts properly again.
Smoke Chamber Parging Failure, Tumwater Hill
This Tumwater rancher had smoke rolling into the living room every time the wind hit from the southwest, which is most winter afternoons in Thurston County. The smoke chamber, the area above the firebox that funnels smoke into the flue, had lost its parging, the smooth mortar coating. Raw brick creates turbulence, and turbulence pushes smoke back at you. We rebuilt the parging with Chamber-Tech 2000, a UL-listed refractory mortar, and the draw improved immediately. Corrine Halstead flagged the job herself because the homeowner had already paid another company to “fix” it twice.
Factory-Built Chimney Chase Cover Rust-Through, Indian Creek
The Indian Creek homeowner thought they had a roof leak. Water was staining the drywall around their prefab fireplace every March when the rains hit hard and the wind drove sideways. We ran the camera and found the real problem: the galvanized chase cover, the metal lid on top of the chimney chase, had rusted through in three places. Water was running straight down the flue pipe and onto the firebox. We measured the chase on-site, ordered a custom stainless steel cover with a cross-break design to shed water, and installed it with proper storm collar sealing. No more leak. The drywall repair was the only thing left for their painter.
Clay Flue Tile Spalling and Liner Assessment, Westside Olympia Near Black Lake
The Westside homeowner near Black Lake called because their fireplace “smelled like a campfire even when it wasn’t lit.” We found spalling clay flue tiles, the surface flaking off from years of thermal shock, plus a pile of debris on the smoke shelf, the ledge behind the damper. That debris was a mix of tile fragments, bird nesting material, and Class II creosote flakes. We cleaned it all, ran the camera slowly up every course of tile, and gave them the footage. Some tiles were serviceable. Three were compromised enough that we recommended a stainless steel liner, but we also showed them exactly which tiles and why. They chose to schedule the liner for the following fall. Nothing was pushed. Clause 1 of the Haven Standard says the written price and scope come before any work, and that includes the decision to wait.
Chimney Crown Crack and Water Intrusion, Eastside Near Budd Inlet
This Eastside chimney was shedding sand into the firebox. The crown, the concrete slab that caps the masonry, had cracked clean through in two places, and moss was growing in the gaps. Olympia’s wet season, basically October through May, was sending water straight into the brickwork. We removed the failed crown, poured new concrete with a proper 2-inch overhang and drip edge to keep water off the brick faces, and sealed hairline cracks with CrownCoat. The sand stopped. The homeowner got before-and-after photos, the written warranty, and a crown that’ll outlast the next decade of Pacific Northwest winters.
Firebox Refractory Panel Replacement, Lacey Near Woodland Creek
The Lacey homeowner noticed their firebox panels were crumbling after a particularly hot burn last December. Prefab fireplaces use refractory panels, essentially heat-resistant cement boards, to protect the metal chassis. Once they crack or gap beyond 1/4 inch, the metal wrapper is exposed, and that’s a structure fire waiting to happen. We sourced exact-replacement panels through Haven’s buying network, fitted them with proper expansion gaps, and resealed the seams. The fireplace is back to factory specification, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation.
Want Results Like These?
Every job above started the same way: a phone call to (360) 464-2015, answered by a live person, any hour. We book the inspection, deliver a written price before any work starts under Haven Standard Clause 1, and document everything with camera footage and photos under Clause 4. If you’re in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, or anywhere in Thurston County, call (360) 464-2015 or schedule online. We’ll show you exactly what your chimney needs, exactly what it costs, and exactly what it looks like when it’s done right.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Olympia, serving Olympia since 2009.