Ye Olde Chimney Sweep

Very happy. Nice guy, neat work, kept us in the know, very reasonable price.

My contact request was handled quickly and scheduled by a nice lady. Mr. Murphy was personable and helpful.

Scheduling was easy, and Dan called the morning of the appointment to let us know approx. when he'd be arriving. He thoroughly inspected the fireplace, chimney/flue and exterior. His honest assessment was that we didn't need a cleaning this year and the fireplace was in good working condition. During the course of the inspection, he gave me a thorough education on the components of the fireplace, the proper way to use it, safety issues, etc. We'll have him back in a year or two to do a cleaning, when needed, depending on how often we use it. Our chimney was missing a cap at the top (which we already knew), so he took some measurements and followed up the next day with an estimate for fabricating/installing a stainless steel dual-flue cap (we're going to proceed - estimate of $385 was competitive based on my research). Very professional and highly recommended.

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We asked them to put a drop-top damper on our chimney. The work seemed to go well when it was done. However, when we later had smoke problem (that we had not previously had), they were not responsive to our problem and told us we needed to do a better job preheating the chimney and that chimneys like ours are prone to such problems. That was the end. We have heard no more from them. We will have to have someone else come in and look at our problem.

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I used this company when I needed a second opinion after I suspected that another highly rated chimney company (from whom I purchased a daily deal) told me in May 2014 that my chimney was unusable and that I needed thousands of dollars in repairs and had shown me photos of my supposedly defective tiles (but could not email them upon request). It did not sit well with me but I did not want to use the fireplace until I had it checked out.

So, I read that Dan Murphy's company was HONEST and professional and got on the waiting list for an inspection. He told me there was nothing wrong with my chimney but showed me how to light a fire properly and explained the underlying fire science. Folks, start here.

I had not used the fireplace since I moved in. The home inspector, when we moved, he thought that it needed possibly some repair and definitely a cleaning. So when I made the appointment, you make the appointment for the inspection and they let you know what you need cleaning-wise. He was very thorough and explained a lot to me about the chimney and told me that I did not need any work done. I did not even need a cleaning or any repairs, so I just paid the inspection. He kind of also gave me an education on using the fireplace which was excellent.

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Not only did Dan do a thorough job of inspecting the hearths and chimney flues, he also taught me how to safely and properly build a fire in a way that protects our house from smoke or fire damage.  If you have any maintenance issues with your fireplace or chimney, your first call should be to Dan.

Dan Murphy really knows what he is doing. Gave me a tutorial on how my fireplace was made as we just moved in, replaced our pilot as the one we had was installed incorrectly. Gave me some ideas for proper ventilation and overall great guy.
Had great stories on his encounter with a raccoon as well!

good price was more than quote.

My experience went very well. The staff was very professional and friendly while visited. We decided to not go through with the project at the time, however.

The appointment was for November 14th at 11 a.m. Dan showed up three hours later because the appointment he had before mine took much longer than anticipated. After inspecting my chimney, Dan determined that it was in immediate need of cleaning. He also pointed out that the grate I had was too large for my fireplace and offered to give me a smaller one for free as an apology for blowing the appointment.  I had a 3 p.m. business appointment therefore there was not enough time to do the job before I had to leave. Dan offered to return on the following Sunday morning. Two hours after he had not shown, I called the Ye Olde Chimney Sweep number, only to get an answering machine. Monday morning, I received a call from YOS asking about the broken appointment. Dan called shortly thereafter, promising to come do the job that night. He showed up after dinner, did a complete cleaning and gave me the new, smaller grate as promised.

See above.

Jim Duffy, the owner, was out of town and sent two associates, both of whom were firemen, to perform the check.  They immediately determined that no cleaning of the chimney was necessary, and spent the rest of the time discussing ways to ensure that all of the fire by-products go up and out the chimney and do not escape into the room.  Their analysis was thorough and thoughtful, and their recommendations were quite sensible and sound.  This is the second time that I have used Ye Olde Chimney Sweep, and I am more than satisfied with this company.  The first time that I used Ye Olde Chimney Sweep, it was to get a second opionion after another company (also highly rated on Angie's List)  told me that I needed to replace the chimney liner at a cost of more than $1000.  Mr. Duffy took one look at the chimney and told me that the liner was fine and did not need replacement.  He and his associates seem to be very knowledgeable and very honest, two essential attributes in a service provider.

I forgot to submit this review at the time, so I am working from a memory a year old, and don't remember many details.  The chimney sweep was on time and very professional; he inspected the chimney, and explained that it was in fine shape and didn't need cleaning for a couple of years more at least.  This speaks to his honesty, as I'd have no way of knowing if I did or didn't need a cleaning, and this way I saved quite a bit of money. He also spent a fair amount of time explaining chimney care and answered all of my questions completely and informatively.  I cannot recommend Ye Olde Chimney Sweep highly enough.

I was very pleased with the service provided.  The chimney sweep was prompt, efficient, thorough, and personable.  I would not hesitate to recommend this company to someone else.

I called, left a message, had a call back to set up an appt.
Jim didn't come out but one of his other employees did.  I found him to be very professional and knowledgeable.  He had already inspected outside of chimney before arriving.  He checked fireplace, checked flue, and spent a lot of time explaining things to me.  I am a novice fire starter so is was very helpful to have the discussion with him about airflow, air pressure, use some soft woods, etc.
He checked upstairs then we went to the basement where he checked that fireplace also.
Was in the office for about 45 minutes, total charge was as quoted $90, so $45 a fireplace for inspection.
I would use them again as service was just what I wanted - and there was no upsell or anything tricky - very honest.

It was a pleasant experience from the time we called; whoever answers the phone is delightful to talk to. We didn't have to wait too long for an appointment, and Mr. Duffy was on time and professional. He and his assistant inspected our chimney and told us we didn't need a cleaning, but they took the time to talk about fireplace safety, make recommendations and answer our questions.

One of the nice things about him is that he does not allow the other chimney guys to up sell you on everything but Ye Old Chimney Sweep is pretty basic and he never does that at all. He come in and sees that it needs a simple cleaning and he does the simple cleaning.  He is very honest. Almost all these place would tell you that you need to clean the chimney every year or every other year he looked at it and asked me how often I burn the fire, he told me not to call him back for three years. He also re-build chimneys.

I had an appointment window for arrival between 10 and 12. Just before 12, Dan called to say he was running late and he'd be here in about 40 minutes. I expected an hour, given that most contractor type people underestimate travel time, but he was actually right on time (the new time, anyway). I'm not really sweating the lateness - I know stuff comes up and he said he had a much bigger job than he'd expected right before mine. I was just worried MINE would turn into one of those too-big jobs. Dan introduced himself and got right to work. He gave me a pamphlet on how to build a good fire, explained how a fire burns (I'm a science teacher, and he was still able to give me info I didn't know), and how my fireplace was built and outfitted. We talked about work that the previous owners must have had done and why it wasn't necessary and what it means for my chimney. He even let me crawl in next to him so he could show me everything he was talking about. Dan gave me some great advice and told me I didn't need to call them again for another three years! I don't know of a single inspection service that doesn't say inspections have to be annual. I will definitely call them when it's time for another inspection.

Prior to working with Jim, I had a different company evaluate my chimney. This evaluation resulted in an estimate for over $1200 in repairs, which were obviously not necessary. Jim was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. I will never call another chimney sweep.