Winston's Chimney Service

Excellent service from making the call to setting up the appointment, to having the work completed. Technicians Lenny and DJ arrived at scheduled time and called to say they would be arriving shortly. The work was professional done- Lenny took pictures before any work was done and showed where repair was needed. I was quoted a price before the work began. Lenny showed pictures of repairs. The work area was very neat. The whole team from office to technicians were helpful, friendly, and professional.

The team arrived on time and checked the flue. They advised everything was fine and there was no charge. Professional and on time, the way a business should be run

They were prompt and did everything we agreed to.

Fantastic! Several chimney companies reviewed my situation and made essentially the same recommendation. Since I've worked with Winston before on smaller projects over the years and their price was in the range of the other estimates, I chose to go with them. They began when they said they would, arrived each morning around 830am and worked hard all day. Winston worked with us to understand what kind of brick we wanted to use for the new chimney and brought about 5 different options most of which would have worked for us. After demolition, they rebuilt the new chimney with our chosen bricks. As a perfectionist, I can say the results are excellent! The chimney looks fantastic. We had no issues with cleanup or property damage. We had heavy rains this spring after the project was finished and the bricks started to absorb water. When I expressed concern about this, Winston came out to check. The technician explained the water barrier they added is semi-permeable to allow moisture to escape. After the long period of heavy rains we had, it would be expected that some water would soak in. None-the-less, once it dried out some, they applied another coat of the water barrier to ensure good protection in our shady, moist location. The final cost of the project was less than the original estimate. We're entirely pleased with our new chimney and the courteous, professional service we received from Winston's Chimney. Thank you to the whole team at Winston's, especially to Elmer Martinez and his crew for the great masonry work, Jeff Shear for excellent customer relations and Veronica Campbell for efficient scheduling and billing.

The best. They really know their work. and did a fine job. Then came back a year later to inspect the project and reported all is still in good shape. The attitude is everything with this company- they are forthright with what should be done, explain well, their estimate is reasonable; they come on time, do the project and clean up like they werent there! I understand this is an old company and one can certainly see why by they way they do business. I was very pleased.

Winston's did a excellent job relining the 60+ year-old chimney for the wood-burning fireplace in our home, as well as the lining for our oil heat, when the original clay tiles badly cracked and shifted out of place, and replacing the crown. The Winston team was not only very professional, but exhibited a level of customer care that is all too rare in this area. Our technicians Chris, Kyle and Jonatan were excellent - they arrived promptly for both days of work, were very thorough in their work, and delivered an excellent end result. Chris and Kyle also took the extra effort to tell my husband I when key parts of the work were completed, made sure that we understood what (generally) was being done and if any problems were encountered, and made sure we understood new features/changes when the work was complete. They also took extra care to leave the areas they worked in exceptionally clean when they finished - again, very considerate and professional. Our inspector Ryan took similar care when providing the initial estimate and work plan to ensure that we knew what would be paying for, what our options were, and why he recommended a certain course of action.

I meant to write this review a year ago, but it wasn't until I remembered that I wanted to hire them again that I remembered to add a review. I can't remember the cost either so 300 is an estimate. It could have been lower than that. At the time that I hired them I wasn't sure the last time the chimney had been swept. I knew that I'd never done it for the 8 years that I've owned the house. So I thought that would be the bad area. Since they had a special rate, I also asked them to clean the dryer vent as well since my old dryer was not running well and took hours to dry clothes. It turns out that the dryer vent ended up being far more challenging than the chimney and the chimney was pretty clean. I wish I had written down their names, but the two workers that came were prompt within the window that was promised and were very professional and courteous. Every space they worked in were covered well and they cleaned up very well before they left. The extra challenge that I have is that the original builders partially covered the vent to the outside when they built the deck. I've known about it for a long time, but I haven't been able to do anything about it yet. So not only does it prevent efficiently venting, it also needs to stay uncovered so that it can vent as much as possible. At the end of the service the lead explained to me that they had to pull a bird nest out along with a lot of the lint that wasn't getting out. Which meant that the dryer itself was packed full of lint as well. They spent a lot of extra time getting everything out of the dryer that they could and he took the time to explain to me what was happening and why it would happen again for me more quickly than others. It really helped me out that they put so much effort into it and that he very clearly and nicely explained what was happening. Since then I'd planned on having it done once a year, but I'm late on that. I do have a new washer/dryer which is helping. But I will definitely hire them again soon to do another cleaning.

They were great. Very generous in taking the time to give me advice about what my alternatives are.

On time for inspection and repairs. Explained everything re inspection and repairs. Provided pictures as being done and upon completion. Two neighbors also used Winston's and very pleased also.

Everything was perfect. Professional, patient and happy to show what was done,

They were awesome to deal with, were clean, and good natured when they hit some challenges they were not expecting, and it was a dirty, hot job. These guys are the bomb. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

The team was professional and focused on helping us get the cleaning and repairs we needed. They provided safety information we needed with respect to safe use of our fireplace after years of neglect. We would definitely use them again.

The team sent to my house was professional, knowlegable, quick and communicated every bit of detail that was needed. Thanks

Good. Provided clear explanations, answered questions, and were professional and courteous throughout the process.

Perfect, on time. Kept me informed, Courteous fast clean professional. Really great.

Technician was very knowledgable offering good diagnosis and good tips.

Charged us $109 to tell us our two chimneys had cracks and we should repair them. Already knew that with my own eyes. No details beyond that and no photos as they promised. They ignored the diagnostic categories on their own form for the different parts of the "comprehensive inspection." I emailed the company POC to say they didn't do as promised but they never replied. Then today Feb 1 I get a thank you note from them, as if that makes up for not doing the job as promised for $109. Rip off. They did show up on time though, I'll give them that.

It took three phone calls and five days to get the estimate back from the company, and then the estimate was completed, the work was for almost $12,000 for two chimneys and our furnace. I called American Professional Chimney and Masonry for a second opinion. American came out, spent 10 minutes looking at the chimney and basically said it was fine. The damper hadn't been fully opened and once the tech showed me how to warm the flue before lighting the fire, the fireplace worked perfectly. No charge. All in all, I was terrible disappointed by Winston's lack of responsiveness and their dishonesty (or incompetence) in their assessment.

After reviewing a video inspection, I learned that my kitchen fireplace flue liner was not satisfactory and needed to be removed and replaced, in order to use the fireplace safely. Ryan, Kyle, Dustin, Corey, Jonathan, and Nelson?in various combinations, during a few days?removed the old liner and installed a stainless steel liner (plus related parts). Because it was under warranty, there was no charge. All of Winston's technicians were professional, extremely knowledgeable, courteous, and prompt. Each workday, I received a call to let me know that they were en route to my house. The kitchen?s fireplace repair entailed removal of considerable ?filler? (e.g., bricks and concrete blocks), in addition to the old liner. And, the flue had numerous turns, which made the job more difficult. However, the techs' expertise enabled them to successfully clear the flue before installing the new liner. There was some dust, despite the use of tarps and tape. Kyle cleaned the area with an eco-friendly product, before leaving my house. When they inspected the fireplace directly above this one, in my home office, I learned that it had its own issues and was not safe to use. Fortunately, this flue did not have any zigzags. It was much easier for the crew to install the stainless steel liner (plus related parts). Beth and Veronica also deserve compliments. With their friendly voices and excellent customer service skills, they are both assets to Winston?s, as well. Now, I'm looking forward to winter?s chilly weather so that I can enjoy my relined fireplaces!

I called requesting service on my chimney. The young lady who answered the phone was really nice & we spoke for about 5 minutes when she told me they do not service my area. I live in a really nice area in PG County. I asked they list PG County as an area they service & she said they only service certain areas. Not only did this sound like false advertising, it was a waste of time.

Workmanship was excellent. If I had not seen the top removed, I would not know they had reworked all that brickwork. The mortar is a good match making it look like the original chimney. The interior work was excellent. The crew that worked inside the house were very professional, explaining what they were doing and making sure to keep the work area clean when they left. The outside crew were very professional and did an excellent cleanup when they were done. The price was competitive and (judging from the other chimneys in our neighborhood that have been done) the workmanship was above expectations.

I cannot say enough good things about Winston's Chimney Service and, in particular, Ryan Hall. My husband and I hired Winston's for a chimney inspection on our house before we bought it, as part of our home inspection. Despite a thorough review by a home inspector, Winston's was the one who caught an incorrectly installed water heater and boiler system that was potentially releasing carbon monoxide into the home. He saved us, literally, thousands of dollars by catching it before the sale and subsequently earned our loyalty. He performed thorough inspection of the house and also made us aware of an incorrectly installed and vented wood stove in the home. I highly recommend their inspection services - they are clearly practiced professionals with an eye for safety. After the sale, we hired Winston's to remove the wood stove from the home. The crew was quick, professional, and explained the situation to us clearly. We'll be hiring Winston's again soon - this time to line an old chimney to make it safe to use for this winter. A great company and very responsive!

The work was scheduled within a reasonable time. Workers arrived on time, were professional, courteous, and cleaned up after themselves. They noted upgrades that could be made to the flue, and noted masonry repairs that need to be made to the crown.

Water leak around fireplace hearth in the lower-level family room in my townhouse convinced me that the chimney had been somehow damaged during the 2011 earthquake -- even though another company had looked at the chimney and pronounced it sound. Made appointment with their technician who arrived early for appointment; within 2 minutes he showed me he could move the chimney just with an easy push of his hand. The earthquake had broken the bonds between the chimney structure and the house itself, probably allowing water to flow from the roof to the basement. The technician wrote up an estimate on the spot; i paid him 1/3 the total. His three man team arrived early - and in three days had torn down about 40% of the damaged chimney and rebuilt it. Bonus: even though the bricks were from the mid-1980s (when the townhouse was built) they were able to match the brick color and they matched the existing grout color. A couple of days after the chimney was rebuilt the technician returned to install the flashing on the roof and seal the area between the chimney itself and the siding of the house. The construction team was careful about cleaning up, although I had to have the deck power washed to completely remove the concrete dust.

Winston's was scheduled to clean and inspect my wood stove. The appointment window was between 11:30 and 1:30. When no one had shown up by 1:00, I called to inquire when they would arrive, as I needed to leave at 3:00 for an appointment. The woman who answered the phone did not know the status of the service person and had to call him. She called back to tell me he was running late and would not be able to get to my house before I needed to leave for my appointment. I then canceled the appointment and told her I would not reschedule with Winston's. I was disappointed in what I considered to be unprofessional service. I understand that circumstances can cause a service person to run late but expect to be notified of that as soon as possible. I had had to make arrangements to work at home that day, so it was an inconvenience to have to schedule another appointment (although I subsequently found another chimney service that provided excellent service for a considerably lower price---and their regular price, not a Big Deal). This experience with Winston's was disappointing because I had used them for several years and previously been happy with their service. Their quoted price this year was much higher than in previous years and their service worse. I will not use them again.