Masonry repair on a brick chimney

Before & after

Our work, documented

Every chimney we touch is photographed before and after — so the proof is in the pictures, not in promises.

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We document every job with before-and-after photos. As we complete work across King County's South Seattle, our own real projects appear here — chimney repairs, relining, crown rebuilds, cap installs and masonry. Below them, a showcase of representative before-and-after examples shows what each service we offer typically looks like.

Service showcase — before & after

What each service looks like, before and after

For every service we offer, here's the kind of before-and-after transformation it delivers — paired with a representative scenario from South Seattle so you can picture how a typical job plays out.

An honest note: the pairs and scenarios below are representative before-and-after examples and typical situations — not photos or stories of specific customer jobs. They illustrate what each service involves. We add our own completed South Seattle County projects above as we finish them.

Before
After
Chimney Sweep
The before shows a flue and smoke chamber coated in soot and early creosote; the after shows the same masonry brushed and vacuumed back to bare surface. A clean flue draws better, smokes less into the room, and removes the fuel that feeds a chimney fire — which is why the NFPA recommends an annual sweep on a wood-burning system.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A job we see all over the Rainier Valley: a Columbia City Craftsman that's burned wood through the wet season with no sweep in memory. By spring the flue wears a full coat of soot and early creosote, and the first sign is smoke curling back into the living room. Typically we scan the flue, brush it out from the smoke chamber up, and vacuum the firebox clean — then show the owner any glazing or moisture staining worth watching. The flue draws properly again, and next season's plan is written down before we leave.
Before
After
Chimney Inspection
These frames are pulled from a camera scan run up the flue, where a surface glance can't reach. The after view exposes a cracked tile or gap in the liner — the kind of hidden defect that lets heat and combustion gases reach framing. A documented Level 1 or Level 2 inspection is what turns a guess into a clear, photographed scope of work.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
The classic version: a buyer closing on a Beacon Hill foursquare wants the chimney vetted before signing. From the firebox everything looks respectable — but the camera going up a 1915 flue usually tells its own story, a cracked tile here, an open joint there, a century of heat and damp doing quiet work. Every finding goes into photos and a written report, so the buyer walks in knowing the real scope instead of discovering it the first cold week after move-in.
Before
After
Chimney Relining
The before is a clay flue with cracked or shifted tiles that no longer contain heat and flue gases safely. The after is a continuous, correctly sized stainless steel liner — insulated and sized to the appliance. A sound liner is the barrier between the fire and your home's framing, and it's a code requirement when the original is compromised.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A representative case: a Mount Baker Tudor on the lake slope whose original clay-tile flue shows cracked, shifted tiles on the camera. After a hundred wet seasons and the occasional freeze, the clay no longer contains heat the way code demands. Typically we clear the failed tile where needed and feed in an insulated stainless liner sized to the appliance. The old chimney keeps its face on the outside — and gets a modern, safe flue on the inside.
Before
After
Chimney Repair
The before shows spalled brick face and washed-out mortar joints where water has worked its way in. The after is rebuilt and repointed back to a sound, weather-tight stack. Catching this early keeps a cosmetic problem from becoming a structural one, where loose masonry and a leaning stack force a far larger rebuild.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A typical south-end job: the brick stack on a Hillman City bungalow, spalling at the face and losing mortar near the top after decades of rain. Left alone, the water keeps burrowing and each cold snap wedges the brick a little further apart. We rake out the dead joints, rebuild the spalled courses, and repoint in a mortar matched to the original. The stack sheds water again, and the decay stops well short of the framing.
Before
After
Chimney Cap Installation
The before is an open flue with nothing over it — wide open to rain, snow, leaves and nesting animals. The after carries a stainless cap with spark-arrestor mesh. The cap keeps water out of the flue (the single biggest driver of interior chimney decay) and stops birds, squirrels and embers, for very little cost relative to the damage it prevents.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A common find on older south-end roofs: a flue standing wide open — no cap, water stains inside the firebox, and the twigs of a starling nest at the top. An open flue is the fastest way for Seattle rain and wildlife to ruin a chimney from the inside. The fix is modest: a stainless cap with spark-arrestor mesh, measured to the flue. Small part, quick install, and it heads off a repair many times its cost.
Before
After
Masonry Repair (Crown / Repointing)
The before shows a cracked crown and eroded joints at the top of the stack, where weather hits hardest. The after is a recast crown and fresh repointing that shed water away from the masonry. The crown is the chimney's first roof — once it cracks, water runs straight down into the brick and the flue, so fixing it early protects everything below.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
How it usually starts: a damp patch appears on a Seward Park ceiling, and up on the roof the crown is split and the top joints have gone hollow. The crown takes the whole wet season head-on, and once it cracks, water pours straight down into brick and flue. Typically we recast the crown and repoint the top courses so everything sheds outward again. The top of the stack goes watertight — and everything under it stays protected.
Before
After
Chimney Waterproofing
The before is porous, water-stained brick that soaks up rain like a sponge; the after is sealed with a breathable, vapor-permeable masonry repellent. The right product blocks liquid water from entering while still letting trapped moisture escape — so the brick doesn't trap water and crack apart in a freeze. It's a low-cost step that extends the life of sound masonry.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A typical scenario from the lake slopes: brick on a Rainier Beach home that stays dark and damp long after the rain stops, with the first flakes of spalling showing. Porous hundred-year-old brick drinking the wet season, then catching a freeze, is exactly how the flaking starts. Once the masonry is confirmed sound, we apply a breathable repellent that turns away rain but lets the brick exhale its moisture. The wall sheds water again and faces the next cold snap in far better shape.
Before
After
Chimney Flashing Repair
The before shows rusted or lifted flashing at the roof-to-chimney joint, the most common source of a ceiling stain near the chimney. The after is new step and counter-flashing, properly lapped and sealed. Done right, flashing is a layered metal detail — not a bead of caulk — and it's what keeps the roof watertight where two surfaces meet.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A common call: a Georgetown cottage where the same ceiling stain reappears by the chimney after every hard rain. On roofs this age the culprit is nearly always flashing — rusted, lifted, or held together by caulk that quit years ago. We strip the spent metal and lap in proper step and counter-flashing, sealed where brick meets roof. The joint stays dry through the next storm, and the stain finally stops returning.
Before
After
Gas Fireplace Service
The before is a gas firebox with dusty logs, a sooty glass and a lazy, uneven flame; the after is cleaned, with burner and pilot serviced to a steady, even burn. Beyond looks, servicing checks the pilot, thermocouple and venting so the unit lights reliably and vents combustion byproducts safely. A neglected gas appliance is both a comfort and a carbon-monoxide concern.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
The usual story: as the first cold evenings hit Othello or Brighton, the gas fireplace comes back out of hibernation — sooty glass, dusty logs, a low uneven flame. A damp Seattle off-season is hard on pilots and burners left idle. Typically we clean the firebox and glass, service the burner and pilot, and check the venting and safety gear. It lights on the first try, burns even and blue, and vents the way it should.
Before
After
Creosote Removal
The before shows heavy, glazed (Stage 3) creosote — the hard, tar-like buildup that an ordinary brushing won't touch; the after is back to clean masonry. Glazed creosote is highly flammable and is the fuel behind most chimney fires, so removing it with the right tools is a safety job, not a cosmetic one. It's the buildup that an annual sweep is meant to prevent.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A representative case: a wood-burning household in the Rainier Valley, several winters of (often unseasoned) firewood, no sweep in between. The flue ends up armored in glazed creosote that a normal brush just skates over — and that glaze is precisely what feeds a chimney fire. We break it down with rotary tools or a chemical treatment and take the flue back to clean masonry, then explain what's causing the buildup. Safe to burn again, with a plan to keep it that way.
Before
After
Dryer Vent Cleaning
The before is a vent line packed with lint; the after is a clear, free-flowing duct. A clogged line makes the dryer run hot and slow, shortens its life, and is a leading cause of house fires. Clearing it restores airflow, cuts drying time and energy use, and removes a real fire hazard — especially on long or restricted runs.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
A common call from Beacon Hill's longtime homes: a dryer run stretched across an old floor plan, clothes suddenly needing two cycles, laundry room turning into a sauna. That's a vent line packed with lint — an efficiency problem and a genuine fire risk in one. We clear the full run from the machine to the outside hood and make sure the flap swings free. The dryer runs cooler and faster, and the hazard leaves with the lint.
Before
After
Air Duct Cleaning
The before shows supply ducts and registers coated in dust and debris; the after is cleaned ductwork with clear airflow. Removing built-up dust improves airflow, eases the load on the HVAC system, and reduces what gets recirculated into the rooms. It's most worthwhile after renovation work, a pest issue, or visible dust blowing from the vents.
Representative exampleTypical scenario — not a specific customer job
What it often looks like: a family finishes remodeling a Columbia City bungalow — or moves into one that's stood since the twenties — and dust starts streaming from the registers onto every shelf. Whatever has settled in the ductwork over the years gets pushed back into the rooms each time the furnace kicks on. We clean the supply and return runs and the registers, taking the accumulation out. The air moves freely, the dust settles down, and the system stops fighting itself.

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