Before hiring a company to work on your chimney, you will want to make sure that they are professionally qualified.
Are your sweeps certified?
In the state of Minnesota, chimney sweeps are not required to be certified so that means that you must do your own research before hiring a chimney sweep. It is especially important that they are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). The CSIA is the nationally recognized certification in the chimney safety industry. Lakeview sends their employees to a week-long class in Indiana for CSIA training and certification. To maintain accreditation, our CSIA Certified Sweeps must take continued education classes to stay up to date so they can adhere to the highest standards of service. With the CISA Chimney Sweep training, our sweeps are knowledgeable and are bound by a code of ethics.
How long have you been in business?
Each chimney is unique and can be complicated. When they are not maintained or installed properly, many problems can arise. An experienced chimney sweep will know what to look for and what to do to make sure you can use your chimney safely. Fired Up (formerly Lakeview) has been in business since 2005.
Do you have any references?
This is extremely important! If a company does not have any references that means they have not been in business for very long. Many of our customers call to schedule an appointment after reading our Google Reviews online. These reviews are provided by our customers after our work is complete.
How do you clean the chimney?
This is a particularly important question for a homeowner and one that should be asked. We’ve written a blog on this in detail. Please see our blog titled, “What to Expect During a Chimney Inspection / Sweep.”
How often should my chimney be inspected and swept?
All chimneys should be inspected and swept annually. Your CSIA Certified Sweep will look for blockages, creosote buildup, chimney damage, critters, etc. Protection and peace of mind are two important things that chimney inspections give you.
If you have any questions, please contact us at 218.525.5146.
