Before & After Gallery - Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Photographs tell the truth faster than any sales pitch. When we finish a sweep in Fort Lauderdale, we show you the camera footage from inside the flue, so you can see exactly what was removed and what remains. This page exists because seeing creosote before it’s gone, and clean masonry after, gives homeowners a straight answer about the condition of their chimney. Ashby carries ash right in the name, which suits us fine.

Call (754) 354-1451

Recent Transformations

Heavy Creosote Removal in a Victoria Park Fireplace

BeforeAfter

This home in Victoria Park had gone four winters without a sweep, and the fireplace saw heavy use during the mild cold snaps we get in Fort Lauderdale. The flue liner was coated with stage two creosote, the shiny tar-like buildup that ignites at around 700 degrees. We ran a rotary whip through the flue, then hand-scrubbed the smoke chamber, which most sweeps skip because it’s awkward to reach. The after photos show bare masonry and a draft that pulls smoke up instead of pushing it into the living room.

Soot and Debris Clearing in a Rio Vista Townhouse

BeforeAfter

A townhouse in Rio Vista had a chimney that smoked badly on startup, even with the damper fully open. When we got on the roof, we found the cause fast: a bird nest partially blocking the flue exit, plus three seasons of soot caked onto the walls. We removed the nest by hand, swept the full length of the flue, and reset the homeowner’s existing rain cap so birds couldn’t get back in. Photos from the camera run show a completely open passage from firebox to crown.

Gas Fireplace Flue Cleaning in Imperial Point

BeforeAfter

Gas fireplaces do still need the flue cleaned, though plenty of Fort Lauderdale homeowners assume they don’t. This Imperial Point home had a gas log set that produced a whisper of a flame and an occasional sulfur smell. Inside the vent, we found fine soot mixed with mineral residue from condensation, a common pairing in our humid climate. The sweep itself used brushes designed for metal liners, not the chain whip we’d use on masonry. The after photo shows a clean metal vent and a properly drafting flame that burns blue instead of lazy orange.

Smoke Chamber Deep Clean in Coral Ridge

The smoke chamber is the unsung part of every chimney, and it’s where soot collects fastest because smoke is still condensing there. This Coral Ridge home had an ashy smell that got worse every time the air conditioning kicked on and pulled air down the chimney. Our camera showed a half-inch of soft soot across every smoke chamber wall. That took hand scrapers and patience, not just a brush run. The result is a chimney that no longer smells like a campfire in August and a fireplace that lights on the first try.

Firebox and Damper Restoration in Harbordale

A Harbordale bungalow came to us with a damper that wouldn’t close and ash that had hardened into a paste at the bottom of the firebox. The previous homeowner had burned pressure-treated lumber, which leaves a residue that binds to brick when it gets humid, and Fort Lauderdale is always humid. We removed the old damper plate, installed a new top-mount damper, and cleaned the firebox down to original brick. No liner replacement needed, no upsell, and the customer saw every step on the camera before we wrote the invoice.

Want Results Like These?

If your Fort Lauderdale chimney hasn’t been looked at in a while, the camera doesn’t lie and neither will we. Nathan Corliss and the Ashby team will show you exactly what’s in your flue before any work begins, give you a written price on the spot, and sweep it clean. Call (754) 354-1451 or stop by the shop. We answer the phone like actual humans, all day and night.

Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2002.