Your chimney may be the most important system in your house. It’s built to outlast your home and to continue working for a lifetime. However, it will not last without routine services and minor repairs. Your warmth, safety, and home depends upon it. You don’t only need professional services to keep your chimney in the best shape possible, but you also need to choose the right professionals. Anyone with a brush can call themselves a chimney sweep, but it takes certifications, insurance and ethics to have the standards to safely care for your chimney system.
CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps
Since the 1980s the Chimney Safety Institute of America has been the national standard for chimney professionals and service in the US. CSIA certified chimney sweeps (CCS) have been trained in the field and the classroom to provide the best services possible. They are educated and tested over national fire safety codes, industry standards, chimney and fire science. Once certification is reached, CSIA certified chimney sweeps must continue education through re-certification or continuing education credits every three years.
Why A CSIA Certification Matters to Homeowners
The CSIA is a non-profit organization governed by volunteer who are experts in the industry. Their mission includes public and professional education with a commitment to the elimination of residential fires, carbon monoxide intrusion, and other chimney-related hazards to protect homeowners. By hiring a CSIA certified sweep, you are relying on a technician who has proven their technical expertise and dedication to safety as well as the promise to follow a code of ethics.
Code of Ethics
We understand it can be difficult to entrust your home and your safety with strangers. That is why all CSIA certified chimney sweeps abide by a stringent Code of Ethics which protects homeowners from scams. A CSIA member found in violation of this code may have their certification revoked. Without a code of ethics to follow, unqualified chimney sweeps scam homeowners with low estimate repair costs that will not fix the problem or they charge high prices for incorrect work just to make extra money.
At Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep, we want to only offer the best to our customers, friends, family, and neighbors. Residential fires and industry scams are a disappointment to us and other certified professionals across the US. Scams are possible only due to the lack of regulations. One woman paid over $4,000 for repairs that were done incorrectly. This is no isolated incident. Hiring amateurs, handymen, and other unlicensed contractors to work on your chimney can mean wasted money and a dangerous chimney. The result can cause damage to the house, or worse–loss of life.
The best use of your money and our time is to schedule routine maintenance so that major repairs are avoiding. Schedule an annual chimney inspection to catch problems before minor problems turn into major work. Hiring professionals for all of your diagnostics, repairs, annual services, and installations means the best for your home.
If you reside in the Boston, Portland, or North Shore area, call Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep for your comprehensive chimney care.