Before & After Gallery - Alcott Chimney Austin

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in Austin, TX

Most Austin homeowners never see the inside of their flue, and that’s exactly the problem. We take photos before we touch anything and again when we’re done, so you can see the creosote, the debris, the animal nests, and the final result with your own eyes. Ruben Castellano has always believed a homeowner should never be asked to trust a recommendation they can’t verify. These transformations are representative of what we find in chimneys across Austin, from Hyde Park to Circle C.

Call (361) 420-8585

Recent Transformations

Stage 3 Creosote Removal in a Cedar Park Fireplace

BeforeAfter

The homeowner called us because their fireplace had started smoking back into the living room on cold nights. The camera showed stage 3 creosote, the tar-like glaze that forms when wood burns incompletely, coating the flue walls in a shiny black crust. Our certified technician ran rotary rods with a steel whip head to break the glaze loose, then swept the full length of the flue and vacuumed the smoke chamber and damper. The after photo shows bare terra cotta tile, and the homeowner told us the next fire drew clean up the chimney with no smoke spillage at all.

Raccoon Nest and Debris Blockage in Mueller

BeforeAfter

The homeowners heard scratching behind the damper for two weeks before they called Alcott. When we ran the camera up from the firebox, we found a full raccoon nest, twigs, leaves, and matted insulation packed into the first eight feet of the flue. We removed the material by hand, swept the full chimney, and installed a stainless steel chimney cap with proper mesh to keep animals out for good. The difference in draft was immediate, and the smell in the firebox cleared within a day.

Heavy Soot Buildup in a 1920s Clarksville Bungalow

BeforeAfter

The house still had its original 1927 brick chimney, and the owners had used the fireplace every winter since buying the place in 2019. Soot had accumulated to the point that the flue was a third of its original diameter, which is exactly how chimney fires get their fuel. Our technician swept the full length with poly brushes, since older brick liners in Austin bungalows can be too soft for aggressive steel heads, and pulled nearly two full vacuum canisters of black powder out of the system. The before and after photos show the difference between a flue that was quietly becoming a fire hazard and one that drafts the way the original masons intended.

Gas Fireplace Glass and Burner Restoration in Round Rock

This gas fireplace had white clouding on the inside of the glass and a burner that sputtered instead of burning clean. The clouding happens when mineral deposits from the gas bake onto the hot glass, and the sputtering usually means the burner ports are partially blocked. We removed the glass, cleaned it with a fireplace-specific cleaner, pulled and cleaned the burner, and reinstalled everything with a new gasket seal. The flame pattern went from uneven and orange-tipped to a full, blue flame across the entire burner.

Damper and Flue Restoration in an Allandale Ranch

The Allandale homeowner bought the house knowing the fireplace “might need a little work.” The damper plate was rusted nearly solid, and the flue had three separate blockages from old bird material and deteriorated mortar. We replaced the damper assembly, swept the full flue, and ran a camera inspection afterward to confirm the flue was clear and intact. The visual difference between the corroded old damper and the new one speaks for itself, and the homeowner can now open and close it with one hand.

Want Results Like These?

Every Alcott Chimney Austin project includes camera inspection before and after, so you’ll see exactly what we found and exactly what we fixed. You get a written price before any work begins, and every repair carries our written guarantee. If a repair fails within the coverage period, the second visit is free. Call (361) 420-8585 and one of our team members will answer in person, any hour.

Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney Austin, serving Austin and surrounding communities since 2002.