Before & After Gallery - Hadley Chimney West Covina

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in West Covina, CA

Most homeowners never see inside their own chimney. They fire up the gas logs or light the first Duraflame of the season and trust that everything up there is fine. The photos below show what we actually find in West Covina homes, from Glendora Avenue ranchers to the hillside streets above Amar Road. Creosote buildup, nesting debris, cracked flue tiles, the works. Every job gets documented the same way: a camera goes up before we touch anything, and the same camera goes up when we’re done. That’s the Relay Visibility Guarantee and it’s written into every visit.

Call (661) 402-9036

Recent Transformations

Creosote Removal, 1970s Ranch near Galster Park

BeforeAfter

The flue here had not been swept since the house changed hands in 2011. A camera inspection showed creosote (the flammable tar buildup that makes chimneys a fire risk) glazed over the top twelve feet of the flue. We ran a rotary sweeping head with steel cable, then went back up with the camera to show the homeowner the bare clay tile underneath. Total time on site: just under two hours, including setup and the photo walkthrough.

Seasonal Sweep and Cap Repair near the West Covina Library

BeforeAfter

This sweep was booked preventively, no active problem, just a homeowner who hadn’t used the fireplace in a year. Good instinct. We found the rain cap had shifted and a small bird’s nest was lodged against the flue opening. We removed the nest, reset the cap with new hardware, and swept the flue clean. The written price covered both items before we unloaded a single tool.

Wood-Burning Fireplace Restored After Years of Rental Turnover

BeforeAfter

Rental properties see the worst chimneys. Tenants burn whatever fits: pizza boxes, wrapping paper, pine from the big-box store. This fireplace near Cortez Park had a smoke shelf packed with debris and stage-two creosote in the upper flue. We swept it clean, treated the glazed sections, and left the owner with before-and-after photos showing exactly what came out. That photo report is part of our standard documentation, not an add-on.

Odor Investigation Turned Full Flue Cleaning near Cameron Park

A damp smell had been drifting into the living room every time the air conditioning kicked on. The camera found a dead squirrel about six feet down from the damper. We removed it, sanitized the accessible flue, then did a full sweep to clear the hair and nesting material that had accumulated. The homeowner received photos of every step, including the empty flue afterward. No guesswork, no “we think we got it.”

Gas Fireplace Log Set Deep Clean near the Plaza West Covina Mall

Gas fireplaces still need attention, though the debris looks different. This log set had years of dust baked onto the ceramic fibers and a burner that was lighting unevenly. We removed the logs, cleaned the burner ports, vacuumed the firebox, and reinstalled everything with a proper pilot check. It lights evenly now. Gas fireplace repair is one of the quieter parts of the chimney trade, but we do it the same way: written price first, photos after.

Full Flue Rebuild After Chimney Fire, South Hills Neighborhood

This one was the real deal. A slow-burning chimney fire had cracked the clay flue tiles in three places, and the smoke chamber mortar was crumbling. We removed the damaged sections and installed a DuraFlex stainless liner, insulated and secured to the existing structure. Before photos showed the cracks and heat damage; after photos show a smooth, intact liner with no gaps. A chimney fire is the most urgent billboard for an annual sweep. Nobody wants to see this in their own house.

Want Results Like These?

The common thread in every project above is the camera. We show you the flue before we sweep it, and we show it after. If something needs repair, you see that too, with a written price before any work begins. Call (661) 402-9036 to book a sweep in West Covina. A live person answers, day or night.

Written by Cory Mitchell, Owner at Hadley Chimney West Covina, serving West Covina since 2003.