Let There Be Light Chimney Sweep

He did a great job. He answered the phone and called me back when he said he would. He was very honest, down to earth, and easy to understand. He was patient and explained everything to me. He was just wonderful!

Scheduled appointment within 2 weeks of contacting Let There Be Light (our schedule, not his, he had earlier dates available). Very friendly office staff, easy to set appointment up. John called on the appointment date to indicate that he was running a bit behind, but he would still be there (great customer service!) John came over, noted the chimney work done two years ago, cleaned everything and provided some excellent advice on making a minor repair to the gasket on the door of the fireplace wood stove insert - he even left an extra pair of neoprene gloves behind for us! Very professional, a true joy to work with, we will only be using Let There Be Light from now on for anything relating to our fireplace / chimney!

Their chimney cap has held up well , and I feel confident using our wood buring fireplace in the family room.

It went really well. John was punctual, friendly, fast, and knowledgeable. He also came out on a Saturday to accommodate our new house purchase. I will absolutely use John again.

We found John to be personable, friendly and professional. He was thorough and courteous while working. He has a good sense of humor and loves to chat. He also gave us recommendations for stove inserts and retailers.

John Wisnewski of "Let There Be Light Chimney Sweep" was responsive to our communications and provided a very detailed estimate and review of the job before we hired him to install 3 top-mount dampers on our fireplaces and a steel liner in our furnace chimney. John showed up on time, was very professional and pleasant, was neat and clean in his work, answered all our questions, thoroughly reviewed the work he did once he completed it, and took time to make sure that we knew how to work the dampers properly. John even filled out all the warranty cards for us so that all we had to do was put them in the mail. It is no exagerration to say that he is probably the most service-oriented contractor that we have ever worked with... and we've worked with many during our home remodeling. Although we had other estimates that were slightly lower in price, John's way of working with us from the very beginning convinced us that his attention to good service would certainly be worth the price - and we were very pleased with both the process and the results when the job was completed.

John pulled in our driveway perfectly on schedule and got down to business. He shared his extensive knowledge of all things chimney with patience and great detail. Breaking the physics of our specific chimneys needs and wants into colorful analogies actually made our inspection somewhat entertaining without losing focus on why we called him out. He gave me all the time necessary to identify issues to be addressed and ones to consider down the road. I appreciated his no pressure sales approach and feel we got our moneys worth from his services. More importantly, the peace of mind that our chimney is safe and sound for this upcoming winter. I highly recommend giving John a call for all your chimney needs. Guaranteed to leave you smiling, Thanks John!

Very satisfied with the work he did. John is friendly and knows his stuff.

John promptly returned my call requesting an appointment, and was very flexible about scheduling. The office also called to confirm the appointment the day before. On the day, he called to let me know he was on the way, and arrived at the house on time (always a good start). John's a knowledgeable professional who takes pride in doing the job properly. He took the time to listen to our concerns, asked detailed questions about our fireplace use, clearly explained what he was doing and why, gave us some practical suggestions for improving the efficiency of our fireplace, and suggested a modest and practical schedule for future service. John worked clean. The first thing he did was lay down a drop cloth, and he and all of his tools stayed on it while he worked. The house was spotless (well, in any case, not any dirtier than it had been!) when he was done; I don't think a single bit of ash escaped him. On a personal level, John was absolutely delightful. He's a font of stories and entertaining trivia. My husband and I had a wonderful time chatting with him while he worked. I recommend that you book in the summer to have your chimney ready for fall; their schedule fills fast!

Several years ago I called John for a problem with the chimney. At that time he placed a new liner in the chimney. The job was long, expensive, hard and made the chimney and house safer. He has been here since to clean the chimney. He does beautiful work.

This is a small businessman who seems to "get it" that in a tough economy, every detail counts and prospective customers can be fickle! I put myself in the category of "stickler for professionalism/customer service." So I was pleased to receive a reminder/confirmation message the evening before the appointment. He left a polite, concise message for me when he realized that he would arrive approximately 30 minutes late to our house--which was not a problem for me. Mr. Wisnewski was also polite annd respectful to me and my three children throughout the 3 hours he was in our home. Since my kids and I stayed in the basement with him and later followed him out to the yard to watch him climb up onto the roof, Mr. Wisnewski obliged us by explaining everything he was going to do, what he was looking for, and later, what he had found. He used a digital camera as a sort of long-handled lense to "show" us the inside of the chimney. He later provided us with a printout of the digital photo showing the areas of most concern. He is clearly at home in an educator's role, explaining things to me so that even my 6 year old son might understand some of the issues. Mr. Wisnewski explained how our water heater's size and placement had affected the decay of the chimney liner, and detailed the various ways we could address issues. He later also provided a recommendation for a plumber we could research and contact to do that specific (plumbing/hot water heater replacement) job. My hunch is that if I had indicated a time limit, he would have respected that, but since he did not seem to mind my kids' questions & we had no plans, I found the rapport he easily established to be charming. He's at the top of our list to call for the job.

Overpriced. Charged $189 just to show up. Overpriced on the lock-top damper. Feel he is knowledgeable on what needs to be done but takes advantage of the customer price-wise in a big way.

I could not be happier with the experience I had with John Wisnewski. He arrived early, and was able to spot the problems I had quickly and without fuss. He noted that the ground cover outside my home was not providing real runoff and that was causing the leakage I've been having. Instead of trying to provide me with a possibly frightening estimate for repair, he showed me how to mitigate my issues and told me exactly how to repair some of the ducting work myself, even going as far as providing a diagram of how the ducting needed to be assembled for code as well as what parts I needed to perform the repair. Fantastic! After cleaning out the ducts and taking pictures of the interior of the chimney he then installed two chimney caps on the chimney; not particularly easy as his ladder just made it to the top (3 stories). Throughout, John was extremely personable and explained everything as he was going along. He was a great conversationalist who could talk on a variety of topics. My favorite was our discussion of the Edwin Hubble's theories!

A working fireplace and chimney were a deal breaker for us on a house we were hoping to buy. Amidst all the unpredictable weather of January 2011, John was very flexible in finding a time to come out and take a look at the chimney. He kept in great contact in the weeks (yes weeks) that it took to find a time that would work. His inspection was super thorough and his roof scaling skills in snowy and icy conditions would put a Pakistani snow leopard to shame. He spent three hours inspecting the fireplace, chimney (inside and out), and oil flue. After having a home inspection that left us wondering if they'd really looked at everything, it was comforting to have such a thorough and complete inspection done, including photos. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend John Wisnewski to anyone.

I found soot on the roof of my house as well as smelling oil every time my heater came on. I had another company clean and service my oil boiler. The service technician told me I needed my chimney cleaned. I am tired of spending my hard earned money and getting a so-so job done. I find that most contractors want to spend only enough time to cash the check, and the job comes second. So I went to Angie's List and found John. That is the best money I ever spent. John quickly fit me into his schedule and arrived on time. It did not take long to realize John is the right man for the job. He is very knowledgeable and professorial.His main concern is to do the job right and make sure the customer is satisfied. He cleaned everything with out making any mess. He even took his valuable time to explain the proper exhaust operation and answer any questions I had. He found that my oil boiler exhaust is under sized. He explained my options to me and we came up with a plan of attack. He even followed up by phone with me to verify our plan worked. He even stopped in and used his equipment to completely verify the proper exhaust flow of my system. He is the only man that will ever touch my chimney. I highly recommend this company and will be telling all my friends.

Having recently bought our old house (1924), we wanted to have the fireplaces and chimneys inspected before using any of the fireplaces over the holidays. Mr. Wisnewski was great about squeezing us in right before Christmas so that we could enjoy our fireplaces while our guests were here. He is a very intelligent, articulate, straightforward person and clearly very experienced in his trade. If you're willing to spend the time with him, he will teach you a great deal about the maintenance and workings of your fireplaces and chimneys (a good thing for us!), as well as give helpful advice on their optimal operation. He is full of interesting stories and knows old houses well. He might be more expensive than the average chimney sweep, but I think you get a lot more value and reliable, high quality service. He did the cleaning very efficiently with absolutely no mess whatsoever, and was honest about which fireplaces needed cleaning and which did not. I would absolutely hire him again, and recommend him highly.

John Wisnewski is a Renaissance man, sees the big picture yet detail-oriented, fluent in his understanding of my old peculiar chimney, highly attentive to quality and comprehensive service. This guy is a gem. If you want talent, intelligence, and decency, call no one else. Also, John referred me to an outstanding mason and an equally fine specialist in woodburning stove installation.

Dealing with company was a pleasure. John came out very quickly and talked me through the issues and did the repairs on the same day. Would definitely use again.

John is thorough, hardworking, and knowledgeable. He discovered short, undersized liners at the top of the flues for the gas heater and the fireplace, which were not in compliance with code or manufacturers? installation instructions. We would have him do the job to replace them, but our chimney?s too tall for him to do it alone, so we?re using a contractor he recommended. John did the inspection efficiently in one visit, climbing up to look down the chimney, checking connections to our furnace and water heater, looking up from the fireplace and basement clean-out access, and finally providing us with 27 photos and a detailed report to guide the firm that will do the repair work. He's the Energizer.bunny, but he's as thorough as he is quick. As others have commented, he does talk a lot, but his knowledge in this field is encyclopedic and he?s honest, conscientious, and proud of the good reputation he?s earned.

I called Let There Be Light to get a second opinion on chimney repairs. The first company I used(also on Angie's List) told me I needed extensive repairs including including new caps new crown pointing and a new liner,as well as waterproofing. this work would cost over 9,000 dollars. John came over to do his inspection. He spent considerable time carefully going over the boiler(very old but solid and working pretty well), the hot water heater and my fairly tall stone chimney. His assessment of the situation was most enlightening. He explained about the boiler, fireplace,chimney and how they work and exactly why he thought I did need most of the repairs but DID NOT NEED a new liner because of the unique way my chimney was built with a very unusual round flue which was made of 12 inch round terra cotta encased in stone. Although this was showing a bit of "spalling" it was in good shape and unlikely to be prone to any real cracking etc. he explained that if I were to get a new liner, I would need to geta whole new boiler which would be difficult to connect . (something the first man failed to mention). I was impressed with knowledge and his honesty. He really seems to love what he does and enjoys educating his customers.(He said he used to be a teacher-I say he still is!) Unfortunately, he was unable to do the needed repairs himself, apparently due to scheduling problems he said. Be sure to allow a bit of extra time for his visit as John enjoys chatting and telling a few jokes! I highly recommend him and will use him again.

They were very thogough from the moment they started to the moment they walked out the door. They walked me through what needed to be done in the future, helpful hints. An outstanding service person to work with.

I met John last year when I called him to sweep and clean my wood burning stove and to inspect the chimney flue for my oil furnace. (You can read my report on his subsequent re-lining job dated December 2009.) I was so impressed with John's work on that first occassion that I wouldn't consider anyone else to work on the chimneys on my house. This year, he showed up on time again and promptly took care of business preparing my wood stove for another winter providing safe and efficient heat, again answering questions and taking a few extra moments to look at an unrelated area of minor concern with another fireplace. He reassured me that it was not a safety issue and suggested the materials I would need if I felt the need to correct this minor issue. To the respondent who did not receive a return call; I will say that I did have to call twice before we were able to talk and set up the appointment. My second call was answered by Mrs. Wisnewski who assured me that John was very busy (it is peak season for chimney sweeps and John was working long hours), but that he would indeed get back to me. A day later he called and we set a time.

I called John on Monday afternoon, October 18th. He returned my call Monday night. He was very friendly on the phone. I described what I needed done and he said he would be able to come out Wednesday, October 20th. He was running 6 minutes late, and was kind enough to call to apologize for being late, as well as let me know when he would be arriving. He got to the house ( a 1940 cape cod) and introduced himself. He wiped his feet before entering which was a shock for me. He had me show him around and point out the issues that the home inspector had pointed out and put on our inspection report this past June when we bought the house. The front fireplace needed to be relined, as well as new fireplace mortar around the bricks. He suggested getting the mortar from a home improvement store since I am handy, to fix the missing pieces. This was 100% ok with me, normally people want to just do the work then charge you for it. I then pointed out the back fireplace which needed a new firebox (per inspection report). John pointed out all the manufacturing information on the prefab fireplace. He then gave me another suggestion on how to safely and cheaply repair this myself, as opposed to spending hundreds of dollars on a new fire box. So far on this appointment he has been very friendly, explaining everything he was doing, showing me the parts of the damper and how to use it correctly, showing me what was wrong, showing me how he would fix it. The same went for the boiler and the hot water heater. He showed me how he would be fixing some of the issues such as a hot water heater that was graded incorrectly and a liner that was too big for the appliances it was servicing. John then did a sweep on the prefab fireplace. I am so glad he showed me a before and after of what an unswept fireplace vs a swept fireplace looks like. He also explained how much a fire hazard it is to have a built up chimney. I do not think he was just trying to sell me a sweeping, I had already wanted one done, and thank god it got done. He said it was possible for the chimney to cause fire, with just one fire. He was very neat during the sweeping, left not one remnant of dirt or soot. He even recommended me a contractor that is currently working on his house. He was at our house for three hours that first visit and we left no stone un turned. The second visit was on Saturday, October 23rd. Please keep in mind October and November are very busy months for Chimney repair people. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when John was able to get everything done in less than a week. He came on Saturday around 11, replaced the worn and old liner, all the while showing my fiance and I what he was doing. He finished around 5, again showing us what he did, letting us know the best way to take care of our fire places, and was on his way. By far the best contract person I have ever encountered. Very professional, kind, and respectful of his surroundings. His wife, who had answered his line when I called for the appointment, was also very kind, warm, and respectful. A++++ across the board. He will be my every other year chimney sweep forever.

Just moved into our new(old) house. During the inspection by the furnace company we discovered the heater was full of debris from the chimney. To be safe, called John to have a look. (He was recommended by the furnace company and I then checked him out on the list.) He confirmed the damage to the inside of the chimney but also spotted that the new hot water heater had been vented improperly. I needed a new chimney liner and a solution to the venting trouble. Plus, there was no real access to a clean-out for the chimney. Because the hot water heater and the furnace both shared the same flue John designed and special-ordered a piece that would allow everything to connect properly and also allow for a fully functioning damper and a clean out. During inspection and throughout the entire process John took excellent digital photos and showed me exactly what and where the damage was and talked me step-by-step through what he would be doing. He was there when he said he would be there, both for the initial inspection and for the install of the liner. He was organized, patient with all my questions, incredibly efficient, even worked around the tree trimmers I had out on the day he was installing the liner. He worked by himself but you would have thought he had a at least one helper with him. For the incredible amount of work he did, I am more than satisfied with the price. All-in-all, I feel absolute confidence in the finished job and a whole lot safer in the house now that winter is approaching. David Lansdowne

John Wisnewski was very professional. He was punctual and called ahead to let me know exactly when he would be arriving. Communication was excellent. John has 25 years of experience with chimneys and is a true expert. He worked neatly and carefully and cleaned up everything. I was very impressed with his ease on the ladder, the way he maneuvered around the roof, and how he carried the heavy liner up the ladder. I was extremely pleased with his work and I recommend him highly.