Before & After Gallery - Ashby Chimney San Jose

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in San Jose, CA

Photos tell the truth faster than any sales pitch. Below, you’ll see real chimney cleaning and repair work we’ve completed in San Jose homes: the creosote buildup, the damaged liners, the corroded dampers, and what they looked like after. If you’re wondering whether your fireplace needs attention, this is what “before” and “after” actually looks like in the Bay Area.

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Recent Transformations

Stage 2 Creosote Removal in Willow Glen

The homeowner had been burning unseasoned oak for two winters and noticed the fireplace smelled even when cold. The flue had a quarter-inch of stage 2 creosote, the kind that ignites at around 700 degrees. We swept the flue with rotary rods and HEPA filtration, then ran a camera to confirm the liner was sound. The fireplace went from smelling like a campfire in the living room to no odor at all, and the draft improved noticeably.

Jam-Packed Chimney Cap and Flue in Cambrian Park

A family in Cambrian Park called because smoke was rolling back into the room every time they lit a fire. The flue wasn’t just dirty; house sparrows had built a nest on top of a rusted cap and the damper was half-blocked. We removed the nesting material, swept the flue, and replaced the cap with a proper stainless model from Copperfield. The difference at the first relight was immediate: full draft, no smoke, no birds.

Fireplace That Hadn’t Been Swept in 14 Years

This Almaden Valley home had a beautiful masonry fireplace that simply hadn’t been serviced since the previous owner moved in. Fourteen years of weekend fires had left the smoke shelf buried and the damper nearly seized. We spent the better part of the afternoon vacuuming, brushing, and removing debris, then lubricated the damper assembly so it operates smoothly. The homeowner told us the fire finally drew like it did when they first bought the house.

Glazed Creosote Above a Wood Stove in the Santa Cruz Foothills

Wood stoves run cooler and longer than open fireplaces, which is exactly how glazed creosote forms. This homeowner noticed the stove was sluggish and hard to control. We applied a creosote treatment to break down the glaze, then used a rotary whip on the liner. The after photo shows bare stainless where there had been a glassy black coating. Stove performance returned to normal and the homeowner now schedules a mid-season check.

Water-Damaged Smoke Chamber in East San Jose

Rain had been leaking past a failed crown for at least two years before this owner called. The smoke chamber, the area just above the damper, had cracked and spalled so badly you could fit a finger in the gaps. We repaired the crown, sealed the chamber with HeatShield’s cerfractory system, and swept the flue. The before and after shows what a properly parged and sealed smoke chamber should look like: smooth, continuous, and fire-safe.

Rusted-Out Damper Replacement in Downtown San Jose

A Victorian near downtown had a cast iron throat damper that had rusted to the point where it no longer closed fully. That meant heated air escaped all winter and in summer the chimney pulled cool air out. We removed the old damper and installed a top-sealing model that actually locks shut. The owner said the living room felt different within a week, and we documented the whole job with camera photos before and after.

Want Results Like These?

If your fireplace or chimney looks anything like the befores, it’s time for a sweep and inspection. Call Ashby Chimney San Jose at (669) 266-5073. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, a written guarantee when it’s done, and photos of your own flue so you can see exactly what we saw.

Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney San Jose, serving San Jose since 2002.