Before & After Gallery - Hadley Chimney Marietta

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in Marietta, GA

If you’re wondering whether a chimney sweep is worth the money, we get it. A dirty flue doesn’t always look dramatic from the outside. But the difference between a neglected chimney and a properly cleaned one is real, and it shows up in the photos we take on every job. That’s the whole reason Hadley Chimney Marietta documents every visit with before-and-after photo proof. You shouldn’t have to take anybody’s word for it, including ours. Here’s what actual cleaning work looks like in Marietta homes.

Call (762) 249-4619

Recent Transformations

Heavy Creosote Removal in a Wood-Burning Fireplace

BeforeAfter

This fireplace off Roswell Road had been burning unseasoned pine for at least three winters, and it showed. The flue walls were coated in a shiny, tar-like layer of creosote, the flammable byproduct that accounts for most chimney fires in Cobb County. We ran a rotary cleaning head with creosote remover designed for glazed buildup, then went back through with hand brushes to break up the deposits. The after-photo shows bare clay liner. The homeowner told us they’d been nervous about using the fireplace all season. After they saw the photos, they scheduled a mid-season follow-up sweep on the spot.

Animal Nest Clearing and Flue Restoration in East Cobb

BeforeAfter

A chimney near Walton High School hadn’t been capped, and chimney swifts had built a nest about six feet down from the top of the flue. The blockage was serious enough that smoke was backing up into the living room whenever the homeowner lit a fire. We removed the nest material in stages with a rotating flue brush, then vacuumed out the debris box and ran a smoke test to confirm the draw was restored. After the cleaning, we installed a stainless steel chimney cap with a bird guard so the swifts couldn’t return. The owner said the living room finally stopped smelling like a campfire.

Third-Stage Creosote Abatement in a Pre-Fab Fireplace

BeforeAfter

This prefab unit off Powder Springs Street had gone roughly six years without a cleaning, and the creosote buildup had reached what we call stage three: thick, hardened, and concentrated near the top third of the flue where gases cool the fastest. That’s the type of buildup that ignites easily once the flue temperature climbs. We used a poly brush system sized to the manufacturer’s flue spec, then spot-treated stubborn areas with a creosote modifier. The photos tell the story: after two passes, the flue was clean enough to see the welds in the metal liner again. We recommended the homeowner burn only seasoned hardwood moving forward and call us again next fall.

Gas Fireplace Deep Clean and Log Detail in a Powder Springs Home

People assume gas fireplaces don’t need cleaning, but the one we worked on near Powder Springs told a different story. A white, chalky film had built up on the glass, the burner ports were partially clogged with dust and pet hair, and the faux logs had lost their detail under a layer of soot. We shut off the gas, pulled the logs and burner assembly, cleaned each port with compressed air and a soft brush, then cleaned the glass with a ceramic-safe cleaner. The after-photo shows clear glass, crisp log texturing, and an even blue flame on the burner. The homeowner admitted they’d been running the unit with the glass hazy for two years because they didn’t realize it could be restored.

Smoke Chamber Cleanout and Draft Correction in a 1950s Ranch

This house off Canton Road still has its original masonry chimney from the 1950s, and the smoke chamber above the damper had accumulated decades of creosote dust and loose mortar. The homeowner called us because they could smell soot every time the wind blew a certain direction. We pulled the damper plate, vacuumed out the chamber, and used a parge coat patch on a few deteriorating mortar joints. The after-photo shows a smoke chamber smooth enough to pass the smoke test we run after every cleaning. It’s a small thing, but it fixed the smell the same week.

Glazed Creosote Removal Using Cre-Away in a West Cobb Insert

A wood stove insert off Dallas Highway in West Cobb had a glazed creosote problem that a standard brush couldn’t touch. The glaze was hard as candy. We applied Cre-Away, a product that breaks down creosote’s structure so it can be removed with standard mechanical brushing. One application, one wait period, then a full sweep pulled it all out. The before-photo shows a flue you couldn’t see through. The after-photo shows unmistakable corrugated liner. We see this pattern all over West Cobb: inserts get pushed hard in January and February, and by March the creosote is baked on. This one is burn-safe now.

Want Results Like These?

Every job at Hadley Chimney Marietta includes photo documentation like what you see above, plus a written price before work starts and live arrival tracking through The Relay Visibility Guarantee. We’ve been doing this work in Marietta since 2003, and Cory Mitchell still signs off on every job. If your chimney hasn’t been swept in the last year, call (762) 249-4619. We’ll give you an honest answer about what you need and what can wait.

Written by Cory Mitchell, Owner at Hadley Chimney Marietta, serving Marietta and surrounding Cobb County since 2003.