Chimney Meister

unknown

We called Chuck/The Chimney Meister because he had swept the chimney in our old house (2004) and we were satisfied.  In addition, our gas company had said they knew his work and he was one of two chimney sweeps they recommended.  We called him again in our new house and they were able to fit us in the same day due to a cancellation. 
After arriving a bit late due to a vehicle issue, a woman came into the house while Chuck stayed in the truck with his dogs.  We thought she was just setting up for him, but she did the cleaning and he didn't come in.  We were a bit surprised because after about 15 minutes she was done and packing up her tools.  She said she was going to the truck to get the inspection paperwork from the owner.  When we asked how he was doing the inspection without having entered the house or looked at the fireplace, we were surprised.  We asked for him to come in specifically so we could speak to him.
Chuck has had some hip issues since we used him in 2004.  He came in on crutches and it was obvious he doesn't do much of the actual cleaning anymore.  The woman turns out to be his sister who helps him.  He looked into the fireplace and told us there were no issues (it has gas logs and we needed the sweep because we are getting new logs installed and could hear birds in there).  He had my husband look up as well.  After talking with him, we felt a bit better.  However, he left with us feeling still unsettled.
We would not recommend them for a number of reasons.  We noticed he no longer uses company letterhead.  The check was made out directly to him (not his company).  Neither of them were professional and when we asked why the other chimney sweeps we talked to said the cleaning would take 1-1.5 hours, he said his almost always take about 20 minutes because he is a seasoned professional.  He started to talk about the other chimney sweeps and how they are just trying to find issues.
We wouldn't use them again because the whole experience was unsettling and we were disappointed with the experience and lack of professionalism.  The sister was borderline abrasive and didn't give us any indication of what was going on.  When we asked to see the owner, she stood outside our door and yelled at him to come. 
The owner was nice but somewhat defensive.  Also, he doesn't install the mesh chimney tops anymore and instead refers those jobs out to others due to his hip issues (and that was one of the things we were interested in having done).

He is prompt, personable, clean and efficient. He noticed that there was a problem with my chimney cap and he repaired it. What I like about him is that he gives a reminder call and schedules the appointment date. He still charges me the original service price and not the ongoing price. The quality of his work is very good and I have been satisfied with his service.

Chuck arrived on time, he was friendly and very professional. He told us both chimneys had cracks, which he showed us and he repaired both. He was very thorough. He gave us advice on where to buy fireplace equipment and told us we did not need another cleaning for 2-3 yrs!

Chuck inspected and cleaned the chimney and fireplace. He found that there wasn't a cap on the chimney and said he would replace for $125. Otherwise, he said that the fireplace and chimney were in very good condition. He did recommend fixing the exterior gutter system to protect the brick in the chimney from damage. Somebody else had told us that the exterior masonry needed to have the mortar replaced, but Chuck said that it was not necessary - we could just clean it with bleach. Chuck has cleaned chimneys for us previously, and is always responsive and arrives when he says that he will. I also believe that he is honest in his assessment and fair about what he charges for the job.