Top Hat Chimney Sweeps

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They said there was a safety issue of it. They were honest to not to say that, "hey, there was nothing to clean because we don't think this is safe. Work had been done. That being said I had two other to come out and say, "Its safe for gas burning but its not safe for wood burning. Its not up to specs but its safe anyway. Top Hat, those guys are a little more by the book. So, to them if its not totally by the code they can't recommend anything. Other guys are more practical, so I had to get some other opinions to make sure I can use it with my gas. But, I'm not holding it against them, I thought that they were honest and they didn't charge me to go ahead and sweep the chimney even though its less money for them because they thought it was not up to the code. I would recommend those guys.

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Scheduling was easy and they let me know during that call what I could expect to pay for the service. They arrived promptly, were very pleasant and professional and when it came to giving me the bad news that my chimney was not safe to use for wood fires due to blown tiles, they were very helpful in letting me know that to fix it would basically require a chimney re-build - not a cheap venture. Further, they explained why the condition of the chimney was a hazard. They discussed other options I might consider which would be safe (e.g., converting to gas fireplace). They provided me pictures of the inside of the chimney so that I have them for my records. They were just wonderful. My only disappointment was that they were so efficient, down to earth and pleasant, I was sad I wouldn't get a chance to work with them in the future. I would highly recommend them to others looking for chimney cleaning/inspection. They know what they are doing. It would have been nice to have them stay for lunch!

They came out and inspected it and assured me everything was okay. They could also tell the chimney didn't need to be cleaned because I had only used it once or twice in two years. When they left, I had peace of mind. The chimney cap was under warranty and the chimney didn't need cleaning, so there was no charge for their service. They are a very honest business. They didn't charge me for something I didn't need.

This week?s ?trial? began a couple of days ago when I hear this Gene Krupa drum solo coming from inside my woodstove in the living room. I knew right away what it was. The Birds. So I prepared the ?strategic-bird-exit strategy:? to wit: turnoff all the lights in the house, close all shades, open the front door and prop open the screen, stand by with a towel to wave, then open the stove door. The critter might bang around the room a little but will see the outside world and bolt for freedom, and so, in fact, did this one. Before I closed the stove door I shined a light inside, and found three dead birds. I had not heard birds in the stove?there?s no mistaking that set of sounds?so they must have fluttered down while I was gone and met their Maker before I got home. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we?ll call them, misplaced their trust in Providence. But the Saga of the Stove was only beginning. Saturday I get a letter from the insurance company saying they?re going to cancel my homeowner?s insurance. Accompanying that was a terse missive saying they are also going to tell my mortgage company. Gee, thanks! You know what that means! So I called the insurance company and found my agent has?and I quote??not been heard of for a couple of weeks? so someone else took a drive-by, saw the tell-tale steel wood stove chimney and assumed?of course without the courtesy of a phone call to me?that I had forborne to tell them wood was my chief form of winter heat. NOT. I have an 80% gas furnace with a new plenum, and I?m gone frequently enough that any wood fire would burn out and pipes would freeze. No way. The insurance company?s idea of a graceful exit is to require me to have the stove inspected again to prove what they called ?a professional installation.? I say ?again? because a report on the stove was in the original contract inspection done in December last year. So there goes another $200, which grows to $415 and six cents when I need a new section of stovepipe and a new chimney cap to keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?s descendants from trying their faith in the chimney. The end of this chapter of ?Creating an Island of Peace and Serenity? came when the chimney sweeps found twelve more dead birds in the chimney, never mind those who made it out alive when they started banging around on the roof. They?ll be back, but this time I?ll be prepared. [Fiendish laugh.] P.S. The clean, repair and inspect was done by Top Hat. One of the days I was out of town, so the day before they picked up the key. I trusted them enough just from their reputation to give them cash in advance and they key. I even suggested they keep the key for next year, but they declined. I needed an insurance letter, and they provided it on the spot from a portable wi-fi. They ooze trust and confidence.

We scheduled an appointment for chimney cleaning and having it check out for a house we just bought from family. We had no idea how long it had been since it'd been looked at or what they were going to run into. Ben ran into a few unusual things with our chimney - it had been unconventionally sealed up to put it mildly. He and Zachariah got it all cleaned up. As it turns out it was missing a cap so we had them install a new one. They were friendly, professional, and kept everything quite clean. Ben took the time to educate us about what was going on and we appreciate that. Our crown needs repaired or replaced in the future and we will definitely be using their service. I also think everything was priced very fairly.

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The old damper was removed and the rusted metal firebox was partially removed in order to accept the new fireplace insert with its six-inch stainless steel chimney liner. All the work was completed within four hours and everything was left as clean, or cleaner, than when the project began. We are very pleased with the results. The wood-burning fireplace insert is much more efficient than the former fireplace and is very attractive, and easily maintained. We didn't know what we had been missing until Top Hat recommended and installed the unit. We anticipate many years of service from the unit.

We recently had Top Hat clean and inspect our chimney for the first time. We had a very poor experience with another company earlier. Steve, Kathy, and Zeb all came to our home on time and they were professional, friendly, and thorough in their work. They covered our floor from front door to fireplace for protection and cleaned the flu and fireplace from bottom up and top down. They used a camera to inspect our chimney flu and Zeb also inspected and took pictures of the crown and chimney exterior from up on our roof. Their inspection led to some recommendations that we will consider for next year. I heartily endorse them to you all!

We decided that chimney should be examined before we used it again since we had been here twelve years. The fireplace had been used intermittently over those years with no problems, but maintenance had clearly been neglected since we did not use it regularly or intensively. We also had a problem with squirrels entering the second chimney flue, so that issue needed some attention. Steve, Kathy, & Zeb of Top Hat Chimney Sweeps addressed all our concerns with an evaluation of both chimney flues. A stainless steel chimney cap was installed to prevent squirrel activity in the one flue. The firebox was cleaned and found to be badly rusted. It was original to 1949 house construction, so this was not altogether a great surprise. Steve and Zeb explained what our options regarding the fireplace were as we solicited recommendations from them. Their recommendations included various options that Top Hat does not include among its services. We decided to install a wood burning insert and solicited a bid from Top Hat since that was among their services. We are looking forward to their installation of the wood burning insert and relining of the chimney flue with a stainless steel liner. We have been very impressed with their work, attention to detail, and professional, honest demeanor. We look forward to their continued, regular preventative maintenance on the system that they are installing. We can recommend them without any reservations to anyone requiring chimney cleaning and evaluation.

This is a family business. They showed up on time, asked for more details about my chimney problems, offered an initial diagnostic and then they went to work. Throughout they explained what they were doing. They fixed my problem and they suggested a long term solution. Very nice and friendly people. I am very pleased with the service.

I have had Top Hat Chimney Sweeps take care of my chimney & fireplace needs for 10-11 years now in two homes. They are always professional, give accurate estimates, do the service in a timely way and give honest advice re: the immediacy of repairs. They are careful to keep work area clean and not track soot or dirt throughout home. I had the inspection and estimates done after I bought this home. They identified some problems but gave me good information re: repair options and timetables re: risk of fire or further damage. They gave me info without pushing and are great to work with.