Before & After Gallery - Kindling Chimney Riverside

Chimney Cleaning Before & After in Riverside, CA

Photos do what promises can’t. When we tell a Riverside homeowner their chimney is packed with creosote or their damper hasn’t opened in years, the words land differently once they see it. Below are real transformations from Chimney Cleaning jobs around the Inland Empire, from the Mission Grove area to La Sierra and up toward the Box Springs foothills.

Call (831) 218-8547

Recent Transformations

Creosote Removal After Years of Weekend Fires

BeforeAfter

The homeowner had been burning pine on weekends for five years and assumed the dark buildup was normal. It wasn’t. We removed just under two gallons of glazed creosote, brushed the full flue, and showed them the camera footage before and after. The after photo shows clean terra cotta liner the whole way up, and the draft pulled noticeably better the first night they lit a fire.

Blocked Damper and Dead Air in a La Sierra Home

BeforeAfter

The damper hadn’t fully closed in two seasons and had collected enough soot and small debris to restrict the draft. Smoke was pooling into the living room every time the family used the fireplace. We cleared the throat, cleaned the smoke shelf, and reseated the damper plate. The before photo shows the clogged shelf; the after shows clean metal and a damper that opens and closes with one hand. A blocked damper and a bad Monday morning have a lot in common. They both start with something not opening the way it should.

Glazed Creosote on a Chimney Serving a Wood Stove

BeforeAfter

Wood stoves in Riverside’s cooler fall and winter months run hotter smoke, but the flue still needs annual attention. This one had a heavy coating of stage-two creosote, the glossy black kind that hardens like road tar. We used a combination of rotary brushing and professional-grade creosote remover to break it down without damaging the stainless liner. The before shows a flue you couldn’t see through. The after shows bare metal.

Smoke Shelf and Flue Debris From a Nesting Season

Spring in Riverside brings nesting birds, and this chimney had collected twigs, grass, and feathers on the smoke shelf. The homeowner called because the fireplace smelled sour in warm weather and the draft was weak. We removed the debris, sanitized the shelf area, and installed a proper cap to keep the birds out. The after photo shows a clean shelf and an open flue, which meant the smell was gone within a day.

Fireplace Face and Glass Door Deep Clean

This one wasn’t a structural problem, but the glass doors were so layered with soot that the family had stopped using the fireplace. We lifted the doors off their tracks, cleaned the glass with a non-abrasive cleaner safe for ceramic glass, and wiped down the entire face and surround. The before shows doors you couldn’t see through; the after shows a clear view of the firebox. Small job, but it changed how the room felt at night.

Want Results Like These?

If your fireplace hasn’t been looked at in a while, call Kindling Chimney Riverside at (831) 218-8547. Danny and the team will inspect the flue, show you what we find on camera, and give you a written price before any work starts. A clean chimney is a safe chimney, and seeing the difference makes the whole thing feel straightforward.

Written by Danny Cortes, Owner at Kindling Chimney Riverside, serving Riverside, CA as part of the Cedarwell family of companies since 2003.