Before & After Gallery - Alcott Chimney San Antonio

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in San Antonio, TX

Photographs do what guarantees can’t: they show you exactly what we found, what we removed, and what your chimney looks like when the job is done. Every project below is a real Chimney Cleaning job from the San Antonio area, documented the way Ruben Castellano sees them: problem first, plain-English explanation, then the after. No stock photos. No staged brushes. Just what was actually there.

Call (903) 515-5079

Recent Transformations

Third-Stage Creosote Removal in Alamo Heights

BeforeAfter

The homeowner called because they’d had one small chimney fire and wanted to know if the fireplace was safe to use. Our camera inspection showed the flue was coated in third-stage creosote, the worst kind: it hardens into a shiny, tar-like layer that a standard brush won’t budge. We ran a rotary chain whip down the flue to break the glaze loose, then swept and vacuumed the firebox and smoke shelf. The after photos show bare masonry tile all the way up. That fireplace went from a fire hazard back to usable in a single afternoon.

Bird and Nest Removal in Stone Oak

BeforeAfter

Stone Oak has a lot of chimney swifts, and this flue had become a full nesting site over the spring. The homeowner heard chirping in the wall and smelled something off whenever the wind blew in. We removed the nest material, swept the flue clean, and did a Level 1 inspection to confirm no cracked tiles or blockages remained. The difference in the photo is obvious: what was a blocked flue is now an open, functional passage. We also recommended a chimney cap so the birds don’t move back in next spring.

Decades of Soot Buildup in Monte Vista

BeforeAfter

This 1930s Monte Vista home had a fireplace the owners used only a few times each winter. That’s actually a recipe for buildup: low, slow fires produce more creosote than hot ones, and years of it had accumulated on the flue walls. We removed roughly two gallons of creosote and soot, then showed the homeowner the before and after photos side by side on the spot. They said it looked like the inside of the chimney had been replaced. It hadn’t. It just hadn’t been that clean in decades.

Gas Fireplace Service and Log Cleaning in Shavano Park

Gas fireplaces still need attention, and this one in Shavano Park hadn’t been serviced since it was installed. The logs were coated in a white mineral film, the burner ports were partially clogged, and the pilot light was burning yellow instead of blue, a sign of incomplete combustion. We cleaned the logs, cleared the burner ports, checked the gas connections, and adjusted the air shutter. The flame burns clean and blue now, and the logs look like the day they came out of the box. The homeowner didn’t realize a gas fireplace could look that good again.

Creosote Glaze and Odor in Terrell Hills

This Terrell Hills homeowner called because the living room smelled like a campfire every time the humidity rose. That odor is almost always creosote. The flue had a moderate glaze that wasn’t an immediate fire hazard but was absolutely the source of the smell. We applied a chemical treatment to break down the glaze, then mechanically swept the flue and removed the residue. The homeowner called two days later to say the smell was gone. This is the kind of job that looks dramatic in photos but is even more dramatic in person, because you can finally use the room without opening a window.

Want Results Like These?

Every chimney we work on in San Antonio comes with a camera inspection, so you see the same before and after evidence we do. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, a written guarantee on any repair, and a technician whose name and photo you know before they arrive. Call (903) 515-5079 to schedule your sweep. A real person answers, day or night.

Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2002.