Signs You’ve Found A Great Chimney Sweep

To keep your chimney in good condition for years to come, you’ll need to have it professionally cleaned and inspected regularly. This means you’ll need a chimney sweep that you can trust. There are plenty of chimney sweeps on the market, but it can be difficult to determine which ones offer the best and most reliable services. Here are some signs you’ve found a reliable chimney sweep.

CSIA Certified

One of the most important things to look for when you’re choosing a chimney sweep is whether they are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, or CSIA.

Chimney sweeps aren’t required to get a state license or certification in most places. This means that anyone could market themselves as a chimney sweep, regardless of what kind of training or experience they have.

CSIA certification is the gold standard among chimney professionals. The CSIA provides education and rigorous testing for chimney sweeps around the country.

CSIA’s education teaches these professionals the safest and most efficient ways to provide chimney services and even offers continuing education to keep providers up to date on industry best practices.

Years of Experience

Ideally, you’ll want to work with a chimney sweep who already has plenty of experience working on houses like yours. When searching for a new chimney sweep, don’t be afraid to ask about their experience and the type of properties they have worked on. Most chimney sweeps will be happy to provide references from previous customers if necessary.

You can also look at popular review platforms like Yelp or Google Reviews to get an idea of their experiences with previous customers. Everyone has their own unique experience with businesses, so your experience may be different than someone else’s. However, it can give you a good idea of what to expect in the future.

Fully Insured

Your chimney sweep will be working in your home, so it’s particularly important that they have a reliable insurance policy just in case something happens. If your chimney sweep can provide proof of a valid business liability insurance policy, it shows that they really care about your safety and your home. Accidents can happen to even the most careful chimney sweeps, which is why insurance policies are so important.

Friendly and Professional

It’s not enough just to be able to clean and fix chimneys – a good chimney sweep will also be able to communicate in a friendly and professional manner. Your chimney sweep should be happy to answer any questions you may have and should keep you informed of what’s going on while they are working. Clear and open communication is key to building trust with your chimney sweep.

If your chimney sweep has these four qualities, you can feel confident knowing that you have found a reliable and trustworthy provider. Ideally, you should have a chimney sweep inspect and clean your fireplace at least once per year to prevent problems. A1 Chimney Specialist provides chimney services in southern middle Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley. Give us a call at 931-967-3595 in Tennessee or 256-285-2895 in Alabama or you can also contact us online to schedule an appointment!