Oh and while we think of it this season - with new snow on the ground. Do you want to be the one who makes Santa all sooty! No! Then for heavens sake get your chimney cleaned! Call today for a WETT Certified Advanced Chimney Sweep!
Well Christmas is almost here and soon afterward the end of yet another year. Was it a good year? Well yes, as good as one makes it. As I really only do what I want to, when I want to, it does not take a lot of jobs to fill my schedule. But in the process I do have happy customers as I can spend the time it takes to do it right each and every single time. My oldest son is considering perhaps joining me, although that is a year or two down the road in all likelihood. If that should happen then certainly I would have to step up the number of jobs we do, but at the same time would want to ensure we retain the very best service in a 75km radius or more! But if that comes then will worry about it then - and would more than likely be me working for him at that point. But for now - enjoy your Christmas and the turkey dinner. God bless and have a GREAT NEW YEAR.
Chimney camera showing cracks! A good chimney camera is very important part of the maintenance and inspection process. Most do not have one! And likely the only one who would might be a Certified Chimney Sweep!! Why? Well the cameras are expensive.. and if you don't use it then most would not consider investing in one. But here is one example out of half a dozen in a particular chimney in the Elmvale area.
Well went out and purchased a consumer grade rotary power sweep for the fun of it to do a test and see how it did. Ran video camera down chimney and compared. Actually it did not a bad job, but after only half a dozen sweep the wear on it was evident and on the commercial one no impact at all. Further to that, it did not do nearly as good a job, in fact the only thing it did a good job on were liners. Everything else left something to be desired! Running commercial rotary power sweep, made by same company, down same chimney made significant difference. Is there a difference, yes.. but there should be based upon the cost difference. Would you as a consumer know if it worked? No, you don't have access to chimney camera and you do not have anything to compare with! Conclusion - it is better to use commercial gear and hire a professional to do the job and get peace of mind!
In the Chimney line of work there are a few people who really do not understand what is required, what the work entails and are only looking at cost. Some look on places like Kijiji; others maybe Stars for Service or some other sites. First question is what is price or cost. Kind of a clue. Not how long does the job take, do you typically clean from top or bottom, what do you clean, are you certified.. no simply cost. You see there are a few reasons the others make sense and can mean getting value for the dollars you spent. First of all certification and as a Chimney Sweep not simply a technician who has no more training than the most basic inspector level. Certification of Chimney Sweep ensures the individual has been trained on how the system operates, what causes creosote deposits, how to properly and safely remove them and where and what to clean. Timewise? Well if it takes 20-30 minutes you can be pretty sure the job was NOT done properly. It should take somewhere around an hour for most jobs if done right, some a little less maybe but more often a little longer. Top or Bottom cleaning? The new rotary power sweeping tools, which by the way are many times better in the job they perform than the older brushes are generally done from the bottom as the job is better and cleaner - and the sweep needs to work at the bottom at any rate!.. yes smoke shelf in fireplace - behind and above damper - above baffle in wood stove - all MUST be cleaned to do the job right. You see a Certified Sweep not only knows how to do it but also have a Code of Ethics to follow. Protect yourself as it is MORE THAN LOWEST COST.
