A Kindling company - serving Fort Worth, TX

Before & After Gallery - Kindling Chimney Fort Worth

Every visit starts with

Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed

Worth knowing

Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.

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Chimney Cleaning Before & After in Fort Worth, TX

Most Fort Worth homeowners never see the inside of their chimney, and that’s exactly the problem. We photograph every flue before we touch it and again after the sweep, because you should know what you’re paying to remove. Creosote, nests, spalling brick, the odd tennis ball from a hard summer storm. The photos below represent the range of what we find in Tarrant County homes. None of it is rare, and all of it comes out with the right tools and the right technique.

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Styles & brands we work with

Recent Transformations

Heavy Creosote Removal in a 1970s Benbrook Fireplace

Before — Stage 2 creosote glaze inside a Benbrook chimney before sweeping

After — Stage 2 creosote glaze inside a Benbrook chimney before sweeping

The owners had burned pine and cedar off and on for three winters without a sweep because the fireplace still “drew fine.” It didn’t. The smoke shelf was nearly closed over with flaky creosote, and the flue walls had a glossy, tar-like layer that no brush would have touched on its own. We ran a rotary whip through the full length of the flue, then applied a creosote conditioner to break down the remaining glaze. The family now has a straight path for smoke, and the chimney drafts quietly even on low-wind evenings.

Raccoon Nest and Debris Plug in a Near Southside Second-Story Flue

Professional cleaning a residential chimney flue with a specialized brush — Flue cleared, swept, and inspected with a camera

A Near Southside homeowner called because they’d heard scratching in the wall one evening and then nothing for a week. We found a full raccoon nest packed about eight feet down from the crown: twigs, attic insulation, and a few bottle caps. The mass was blocking more than half the flue. After removing the material and sweeping the lining, we camera-inspected the entire length to confirm no cracks or open mortar joints had been hidden underneath. We also recommended a screened cap, which we installed the same visit.

Stage 1 Creosote and Smoke Chamber Cleanup in a Wedgwood Split-Level

Professional chimney sweep cleaning a fireplace with a long brush tool — Creosote dust and residue coating the smoke chamber before cleaning

Professional chimney sweep cleaning a residential fireplace firebox with a brush — Smoke chamber brushed and vacuumed with HEPA filtration

This Wedgwood couple bought their home knowing the fireplace had been used heavily but swept rarely. The firebox itself looked okay, but the smoke chamber, the angled section above the damper that most homeowners never see, had a thick coat of Stage 1 creosote dust. That dust is what carries the smell into the living room every time the AC kicks on. We brushed the chamber by hand, vacuumed the loose material with a HEPA unit, and laid drop cloths end to end from the front door to the hearth. The owner’s first comment after we finished: “The whole room smells different. Neutral.”

Prewar Brick Chimney with Deteriorated Mortar Joints in Arlington Heights

Technician performing professional brick chimney inspection with flashlight and tablet — Deteriorating mortar joints near the crown of an Arlington Heights chimney

Professional technician performing a thorough residential chimney inspection and cleaning — Tuckpointed joints after repair, before the final sweep

An Arlington Heights homeowner asked for a simple sweep before the holidays. What we found on the roof was older than the sweep itself: mortar joints near the top course had crumbled to the point that water had been getting behind the brick for at least a year. We tuckpointed the failing joints with a mortar matched to the original color, then performed the sweep as scheduled. The repair added time but not surprise. Our written price covered the additional work, and we showed the homeowner photos of every joint we touched, before and after.

Wood Stove Pipe with Hard Slag in a Saginaw Workshop

Technician performing a professional chimney flue inspection with a camera — Hardened creosote slag lining a wood stove pipe in Saginaw

Professional contractor applying mortar to fireplace wall for tile installation — The same pipe after rotary cleaning removed the slag

A Saginaw man runs a wood stove in his detached shop through the winter, burning whatever he has stacked: oak when he can get it, sometimes construction scraps if the price is right. That mix produced a hard, shiny slag along the stove pipe, the kind that does not yield to a standard wire brush. Our technician worked the pipe with a rotary cleaning head in short passes, then checked the full run with a camera. The flue was clean, and we showed him the after-photo on the spot. He scheduled his next sweep on the calendar before we pulled out of the driveway.

Want Results Like These?

Every Fort Worth fireplace has its own history and its own buildup, but the end result should look like the photos above: clean lines, clear path, no surprises. We’ll photograph your flue before and after the sweep, hand you a written price before anything starts, and stand behind the work with our 365-Day Done Right Promise. Call (682) 382-9934 to book your sweep, or ask us to send a camera down first. We’ll show you what we’re working with, one photo at a time.

Written by Danny Cortes, Owner at Kindling Chimney Fort Worth, serving Fort Worth since 2003.

Before & after

See the difference