MARK & BUTTONS C-S INC

The chimney has it crisps build up and they need to clean. Very well. They get the highest numbers of stars and they were fast.

AWESOME..FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL!!

I did not get work done, but Mark came out to give an estimate and shared his knowledge about the cause of and possible repairs for issues with interior brick walls. Any time a contractor advises me AGAINST moving ahead with a service because they thinks it's unnecessary (and suggests alternative solutions!), I view them as trustworthy. Thank you for your help!

Great, personable and professional crew. Upon inspection, cleaning wasn't needed so, price was adjusted. Explanations were easy to understand. Received a written estimate for additional structural work that I will have done at a later date.

We purchased this house in January 2016 and as soon as we moved in we experienced a horrible smell of creosote during the day (there was no problem or odor when we had a fire.) The odor was so bad we could not be in the same room as the fireplace for any length of time. As a condition of settlement the sellers had all the fireplaces/chimneys cleaned so we thought the fireplaces worked properly. Our first week in the house we contacted another chimney sweep who inspected chimney and told us there was no chimney cap and moisture probably had caused the creosote to penetrate the mortar. They cleaned the chimney and installed a cap. The next day the odor was just as bad so I called the company back and they installed a top mounted damper. This did not solve the problem either and they told me we would just have to live with the odor because we had a air pressure problem in the house. So I called Mark and Buttons. They tried a interim remedy but soon realized we had a real problem and the chimney would have to be rebuilt. The chimney was glazed with creosote that could only be removed with a chemical cleaner. The terracotta chimney liner was removed, the stack and firebox cleaned; the stack raised 5', the firebox sealed, and new insulation installed. The problem is almost completely resolved. Apparently it takes a couple of months for everything to cure but we are at least able to now use our family room. The crew did a great job and and hung in there until the problem was solved. I wouldn't use any other chimney company.

I called because they are supposedly "Baltimore;s Best". However, they said they could not help me. The reason is: I have 2 fireplace flues and one flue from my oil furnace. They said they no longer serve oil furnace chimneys because it was causing problems with their equipment. If they are truly "Baltimore's Best", shouldn't they have equipment that can handle this type of flue? The other two companies I called had no problem with this, and the one that did the work was fantastic.

Very nice, punctual,professional,knowledgeable and thorough. I've used them quite a few times and had the same service and experience. They gave me a list of what needed to be done to bring everything up to code since I was replacing the wood stove I've had for over 18 yrs. It needed to be replaced or have MAJOR repairs done.

Was most expensive bid received, so we went with another company. But they were courteous and responsive to our request.

Very professional and thorough. Would definitely use again and recommend.

The appointment was scheduled within 2 days of my first contact. On the day of the appointment they called and said they were ahead of schedule and arranged to arrive earlier than originally planned. They were very courteous and professional. Cleaning the chimney and fireplace is a messy business but they were careful, laying out tarps around the work area so there was no mess. They pointed out some items that needed attention and gave an honest assessment , not a hard sell for more services. A few days later they mailed a detailed written estimate for the items they saw that need attention in the future. We are very satisfied and will definitely use Mark & Buttons in the future.

Mark & Buttons responded to my inquiry promptly with a detailed explanation about possible work needed. The response was clear and professional. Their honesty that work was not needed at this time is most appreciated. They are on the top of my list for future needs.

The alway do a professional job

Did not go with this company.

We have used Mark and Buttons for chimney service for our home and brick sealant for over 15 years. We thought they were giving us good service but when we were selling our home, the buyers used them as an inspector and they came up with a host of issues that they had never identified as major issues for us. Needless to say, we were very discouraged by this. Their response was that they had to provide a different level of information to buyers vs home owners. We contacted another firm to address the issues raised and were very happy with the other firm. Years earlier, we had felt the chimney did not perform as optimally as desired and Mark and Buttons had offered a solution that required extensive work which we did not pursue but instead just did not use the chimney. When we contacted the 2nd firm to address the inspection comments, they showed us problems with the flue design that that Mark and Buttons had never explained to us and gave us a logical solution to resolve the problem. We wish we had known this many years before. I would not use Mark and Buttons again.

The bid was very competitive in part because they were able to work on the room safely without using a lot of scuffling. Crew was clearly experienced and captain was interactive and eager to please. Several delays because of weather which was understandable. Secondary damage to room of sunroom lead to new leak which was promptly repaired and has stood the test of time. Owner came back to fix inside chimney problem, and without charge fixed our fireplace enclosure which was not part of the original job. We were very pleased with the cost, quality of work and responsiveness.

Chose not to use this provider because of their high price, which was just about twice as high as the other nearest bidders. They were professional and prompt with their estimate.

The service was excellent, and they were very professional. But it took a long time to get an appointment.

Thanks to Mark and Buttons, we avoided having to replace our insert fireplace. Another Angie's List recommended service provider had convinced us that the fireplace was not safe to use without a complete rebuild. We have used the fireplace since Mark and Buttons did their video read of the inside if our fireplace and assured us that the routine chimney sweeping and using the right size and type of firewood would prevent future problems. $300 seemed a lot to pay for the video, but $8,000-$10, 000 would have been much more for the rebuild, s we are happy that we called Mark and Buttons.

A large portions of one side of two story brick home had deteriorated mortar and areas where modifications were made and mortar had been applied by amateur with poor skills. Mark knows his business and gave advice we trusted. His price was not cheap but it was fair given the amount of work. The crew showed up when expected. The were professional, polite and good humored. Work involved drilling out deteriorated areas of mortar that covered about 20 percent of wall. Lots of dust. Putting in new mortar allowing it to dry, and then applying sealant that breathes. Mortar was good match. They finished when planned. Looks good. Only concern was that sealant killed off nearby grass.

They declined to submit a quote, saying the job wouldn't be worth their while to accept.

When I called to have my chimney cleaned, they suggested that I just request an inspection. It is lots less expensive and since I only use my fireplace 10 or 15 times a year that was probably all it required. It didn't need to be cleaned, but they noticed quite a few cracked and damaged bricks along with structural damage. They pointed out what should be done and gave me an estimate without any pressure to do it immediately. When I called them the following season to begin the job, they gave me the date they would come to erect the scaffolding, when they would begin the repairs and exactly how long the job would take. Everything went exactly according to plan. The workers are courteous and efficient and when the job was complete, there was not one piece of litter anywhere. It was quite an extensive (and expensive) repair, but I feel so much better about using my fireplace since they completed the job.

My experience with then went very well. They did a very good job. The price was a little expensive. I liked their responsiveness, their professionalism and their promptness.

It was good. We were very pleased. They seemed conscientious and they were willing to tell us potential issues down the road but they didn't make up feel pressed right away.

Information was all that the owner required.

They were very thorough and did a good job in coming up with the estimate, but it was too expensive. Then they decided they didn't want to do it. They were very professional and I think they are really a very good company. I would not contact or use them again.