How to Hire a Chimney Sweep
When the weather starts turning cold, it is always a good time to have a chimney cleaned, particularly if you plan to use it. Chimney fires can cause a great deal of damage to the home, not to mention the danger to the people and pets. This is why we recommend scheduling a cleaning appointment with a chimney sweep.
The first thing that you need to know is that you need to make sure your chimney sweep is certified. The two organizations that provide certification or guidelines are the NCSG (The National Chimney Sweep Guild) and the CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America). In addition to certification, these organizations provide training so the sweeps are up to date on all of the latest safety and cleaning techniques for chimney sweeps.
Before allowing someone to clean your chimney and paying them for their services, it is important to know who they are. The Internet offers a wide variety of forums for chimney sweeps and they can be checked for those who do not offer good service. It is also vital to get some references from the chimney sweep and to actual call to see if others were happy.
It is also vital to check that the sweep has insurance and that they have a great deal of experience in the field. The chimney sweep company should have insurance to protect you from liability in the case of an accident or if damage is done to your home during the cleaning process. Without this, simply move on to the next company.
Remember, the first step in finding a good chimney sweep is to make sure they have been certified. Once you know this, do your due diligence in asking about insurance and references. After a thorough search, you will finally have the person you will feel safe and secure in not only coming into your home, but that will safely and properly clean your chimney.