Downeast Chimney Sweep

Excellent experience from beginning to end. My initial phone call was returned the same day. Louis asked me describe the problems with the chimney liner, and then came out the next day to see if there was anything he could do to save the existing liner, which I much appreciated. Once we determined a new liner was needed, he scheduled a time fairly quickly because the old liner was not functioning properly. His price was competitive with other bids. He and his son removed the old liner and installed the new one and kept me involved during the whole time. We are very pleased with entire service experience, and highly recommend them.

They are superb at what they do -- timely, considerate, and reasonably price, the result being a clean chimney in a short amount of time. They also made good suggestions going forward, including not cleaning the chimney too often. The only outstanding thing is that they offered to provide me with the name of a product for removing creosote build-up. It probably slipped their minds but writing this review will prompt me to call and ask for the name of the product. I also like that they're a father-son team. Nice to see. I'll use them again!

We had not previously used DownEast, but knew we had a problem and used Angie's List to find someone really good. It turned out that many experts (plumbers and heating contractors) also use DownEast for their own homes. We were not disappointed. Our clogged dryer vent in hard-to-access 2nd floor wall was cleaned despite snow and winter weather. The furnace flue was so badly sooted up from a defective oil burner part, that this work took several hours. DownEast advised us to have the burner maintenance man come back again, because "something is still not right." They were correct - a wrong part had been installed, and there was a significant air leak in the oil line, causing the burner to run hot, sputter and smoke. It took another burner visit to make things right. We then asked DownEast to return to clean our fireplace flue - a relatively easy job. Overall, we believe they saved us from a potentially big set of problems. We will be using and recommending DownEast from now on. They deserve their great reputation.

During a chimney sweeping and inspecting of chimney after moving into a new house we learned that our flues were communicating and we needed to put in a liner. Louis came out with his son, was very patient in explaining and showing the work needing to be done and why, and was very fair in his price. His work was high quality, and he did it right away. He was one of the most professional contractors I have ever had the chance to meet and or work with. Highly recommend!

They were incredible. Extremely responsive to my phone calls and did a professional job sweeping chimneys. More importantly, since moving to our house more than 10 years ago, we have struggled with fireplaces that are smokey and dirty. These guys diagnosed the issue, and came up with the perfect solution for two of our fireplaces. Plus, they bought and installed the smoke guards on both. From start to finish, they were enjoyable and professional to work with. I will definitely call them again.

I converted from oil to gas and needed the boiler flu cleaned prior to the conversion. Two quotes before Downeast told me I needed to re-line the chimney and the cost would be above $2500. Downeast did a free inspection and informed me that I had a stainless steel liner in place and all it needed was a cleaning. Cost $225. The company converting the boiler and the town inspector confirmed that the existing liner was indeed fine. Not only did Downeast save me a couple grand, Louis was able to fit me in on New Years Eve which allowed me to take advantage of an opening with the plumbing contractor to move the conversion date up several weeks. His work was thorough and professional. Price was very good for the cleaning. I cannot recommend Downeast enough.

Downeast Chimney was recommended to us by a number of people. Because they were booked fairly far out (3 weeks approx.), we discussed many of the issues from my home inspection and they gave me some guidance on what I could do to use my fireplace during the 3 week wait. On the day, they arrived slightly early which was great for me. The two service men were very nice and worked in my neighborhood a lot. They did a thorough inspection and confirmed some, but not all of the issues from the inspection report. They did confirm that our chimney was VERY dirty. They completed the work in a timely fashion, gave me some advice on cleaning schedules and use and left my house as clean as they found it. The price was right on the estimate too. I will use them for our future cleaning and recommend them!

I highly recommend this company. We had a high carbon monoxide reading inside our boiler and were told to call a chimney sweep as a first step. Downeast Chimney came thinking they were going to clean our chimney and first checked the junction of the boiler pipe with the chimney and found 2 chimney tiles inside the chimney hanging in front of the opening, almost completely blocking it. They removed the tiles and said no chimney sweeping was needed. They were going to leave without charging a penny. We ended up having them clean a separate internal fireplace insert/chimney which they said would need to be cleaned in the spring. We figured they should go ahead and are glad we did. For this they charged $175 but accepted our Angie's List coupon for $10 off. When the insulation company came to check the CO reading in the boiler (as a prerequisite for putting in insulation), they found the CO level had dropped from 995 ppm to 79 ppm--a GOOD thing, of course--and the boiler was working at 30% greater efficiency than it was when they originally tested it! I don't know if another company a) would have found the hanging/blocking tiles; b) would have removed them; c)not charged anything for coming out and doing that; d) had the integrity to not do a sweep that would have been unnecessary. These people are dependable, honest, efficient and know what needs to be done. They said a future option might be to put a stainless steel insert in our chimney to block future tiles that may fall, but they did not push that or think it was necessary. No hard sell or fear-mongering. What a delight. I'm so happy I listened to the reviews on Angie's list. We had previously been about to go with another company that had called us because they charged less but they sounded fishy. I know we made the right choice.

I got Louis' name from a local heating/plumbing company, and he was great. He provided more useful information about the causes of my old liner deteriorating, than either of the previous two people (who came to give estimates) had. He did the job on time, w no mess, and at a very reasonable price.

I have been using the service for 12 years, and the owner is very down to earth. They are very good, reasonable, and reliable. I like them a lot, and I would recommend them.

We called Louis to get a quote for a chimney liner while we were converting from oil to natural gas. He called back the same day and walked me through the process and options on the phone. He detailed out the pros and cons of each option and provided a cost estimate of each (his pricing was very competitive). We ended up not using Louis as our plumber had a preferred contractor to do liners. Next time we need chimney work I would contact Louis because of his responsiveness and professionalism.

Louis and his two sons are true professionals dedicated to their trade. They showed up and called if they need to make an adjustment in their schedule. Louis fully explained everything that needed to be done when he gave his estimate. I received more than one estimate for this job and all estimates were very close so I knew the job was being priced properly. I chose Downeast because they are truly good, honest, down-to-earth folks. I enjoyed dealing with them. I would absolute use them again.

They did a fine job. They were easy to work with, and were good at following up with us.

I had a new oil burner installed and the oil company recommended that I have the chimney inspected and cleaned (if needed). I called Louis on a Monday morning and left a message. He called me back Monday evening and was able to come on Tuesday. He called and said he could come a little earlier, so that was great. He came with 2 other guys and they were all very professional and efficient. He cleaned the chimney and inspected it. He said there was a small tear in the current liner, but they were able to clean it out just fine. He explained that with the new high efficiency burner, I would likely need a new liner, but that I would be fine for this season. (He explained how the high efficiency burners work and why the liner wears out). He explained that they could do this work, and replace the cap (which was not correctly installed) but that it was not urgent. I lked that he did not try to push me to have this done immediately, or try to make me think that this was an urgent situation. I will definitely call DownEast when I am ready to have the new liner installed. I thought their professionalism and efficiency was excellent.

They inspected and cleaned our chimney and fireplaces, got on the roof and took down an old non working TV antenna that was putting stress on the chimney. We hadn't had an inspection or cleaning in many years, so I was afraid of what they would find. But they didn't try to sell me stuff I didn't need, gave honest advice, and were clean and quick. Much cheaper than other Angie's list sweeps, so shop around.

We're very happy with the work and results. The job was done quickly, quietly and cleanly. They took extras care to avoid any affect on the house siding and roof, even taking special care to avoid marring the siding when tying in the staging without our even mentioning any concern. The work site was kept clean as was the roof around the chimney area. The brick work done was a step above what had been there, including a small extension to the existing height so the chimney is prettier than what had been there, again without asking. Communication during the whole process was great, calling ahead of time to plan the time for the work and explaining how long it would take and what was involved. The staging blocked the driveway while it was up since the chimney is on that side of the house, and that was explained and parking concerns were worked out ahead of time. It was refreshing to have such work done so quickly and quietly. They were so quiet it was easy to forget they were there sometimes. A follow up call to make sure we were satisfied a few days after the job was done was also appreciated.

Luis and his son came last year and cleaned our 100 year old chimney and got it in working order, quick, clean and excellent value. This year, we called him again, he came, spent 1/2 hour with us, talking about what we need, and where we need to go, as he did not do that particular type of work. He did not charge us anything for his time and thoughtful advice. He is highly skilled, and very honest. A find. Matt

Nothing much to tell. These people arrived ahead of schedule and went about their business quickly. Their price for the inspection is at the lower end of what chimney inspectors charge. After several unsatisfactory experiences (not returning phone calls, a no show, and a rude person), Downeast chimney people proved courteous, reliable, and professional. If the heating and plumbing inspector insists on getting the chimney religned (some do), I will definitely hire Downeast Chimney to do the job.

Louis and son arrived on time. They made sure that everything near the fireplace in the living room was properly covered. Upon completion, made sure to wipe the hearth down. Everything was done on a highly professional manner. I definitely would recommend them.

He did a very good job. He is a good guy.

Everything was excellent; they even honored a coupon. Lewis is the owner. He and one of his sons discovered what they deemed an emergency problem with a clogged pipe when they were here to discuss the estimate. The clogged pipe could have potentially led to carbon monoxide problems. He ordered the liner then came back with two sons to install it. They worked several hours on that and did an awesome job. His byline is that he is trustworthy and I would say he is absolutely superb. I will use him again in the future.

Our experience was outstanding. We set up a first appointment for an estimate. Louis came right on time, assessed the job and explained what had to be done. Although our heating contractor was concerned about the chimney liner, Louis explained that the job could be delayed, but should be completed within the next couple of years. He provided a detailed cost estimate of the work. We decided to go ahead with the repairs and scheduled the job two weeks later. Louis arrived promptly at the designated time and with the assistance of his son, Ross, completed the work efficiently and in less time than he initially predicted. The final cost was less than estimated since Louis re-used the existing chimney cap. It was a smooth and stress-free repair.

I was very impressed with Louis and will hire him for all future chimney work. He was knowledgeable, courteous, and professional (as were his sons). He advised me on the condition of my chimneys (he assured me they are safe and sound) and even about the condition of my roof. His obvious wealth of knowledge and his honest appraisals gave me confidence in him and the work he does.

Father & son team showed up 5 minutes early. Very knowledgable, profesional & personable. Evaluated the situation, gave good recommendations and went right to work. They worked very clean and when they finished it was like they were never even here. Truely a pleasure to do business with DownEast Chimney Sweeps.

The work was amazingly thorough, well planned and executed. Louis and his sons were prompt, highly intelligent, and did a fantastic job in all respects. The price was excellent for this type of work. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job.