TOP HAT FIREPLACE & CHIMNEY SPECIALISTS

Top Hat did a fabulous job on a very complicated project.  Gary Hufnagel was our salesperson and was knowledgeable and not at all high pressure but knew exactly what insert would work after Don came to the house (at no charge) to look over the project. It turned out there was some obstruction in the chimney and Chuck and Joe, our installers, had to order a special 4 foot chisel  to make the chimney fit the insert chimney. They ordered the chisel and came back a few days after it arrived and did a perfect job installing the insert. Took time to make sure we knew how to use the new insert and cleaned up perfectly after the job. We were delighted with all phases of the project and would use these folks again without any question. There is lots of bad reviews of fireplace outfits and chimney sweeps. Top Hat is clearly a professional and honest business.

Complete renovation of our old fireplace with mismatched tile and potbelly stove to a beautiful contemporary 3 sided gas fireplace which we love. Joe from Top Hat was extremely professional, responsive, and creative in designing our new gas fireplace with wooden mantel and wooden top. He turned our living room from a conversation piece in mismatch décor into a cozy warm remote control gas fireplace of contemporary décor that is now the crown jewel of our living room. We love our fireplace! Thanks Joe!

The technician was on time and did a great job cleaning and repairing our gas insert fireplace. It hadn't had any service in at least 8 years but probably since it was installed in 1998. It was very dirty and hadn't worked at all this past year. The tech did a very thorough cleaning and service of the unit and the cost was commensurate with the state of the fireplace, I think. The glass is now so transparent you can't see it and the flames are huge and bright. We asked them to schedule a yearly service so we can have a pleasant fire going forward. I imagine a regularly scheduled service will be lower cost since not as much would need to be done.

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They installed the wrong fireplace and had to come back to reinstall another. That wasn't so bad but now the pilot light will not stay light. The unit is still under warranty but we cannot get them to come out to do a repair.

1/26/2015: The components of the fireplace were updated, and we shouldn't have any further problems. The issues were due to manufacturer's error.

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Found that the gas valve leaked. Unortunately it was not a brand that they serviced.

We checked all the fireplace stores in town. We needed some smaller size ones and they were the only place we could get them. They were also the best priced for what we wanted. That's where the positive part of the job ends. The big wood burning fireplace in the living room was a complete mess from beginning to end. They showed up completely unprepared to move or install it. Our builders had to help them or they would have just left. Since they were completely unprepared and hadn't read the instructions, they install it backwards!! We don't figure this out ountil the fireplace has been finished in stone. Great. Then, they send a different guy out everytime to finish installing it. Nobody knows what the other one has done and they leave the instructions at the office and have to go back everytime to get them. What a bunch of clowns! Finally, they get them installed but we can't find the controls for the fans on any of the fireplaces. We finally look inside the control panel and they are laying on the bottom! They are supposed to be attached to the wall. We later find out that the guy they sent out to check the fireplaces was told about this and said it would be fixed. Of course it wasn't. We ended up calling them and telling them to come out and fix everything. They had also not installed a switch for the fan controls on the big fireplace in the living room. Just left it in the box. Really? They did fix everything finally and at no cost to us because I said I would not pay for any of it since it was done so badly. They had to pay for our electrician to do the big fireplace since they were familiar with the wiring of the house. Just such a poorly run company from top to bottom. The last guy to come out, an older gentleman was fabulous. He clearly knew what he was doing and was aware of the earlier problems. My advice to this company is to listen to this guy! He's the only one at Top Hat who knew what he was doing. Top Hat spends a lot of money on commercials. Skip the commercials and train your employees!

good and professional

they did a great job i would recommend them highly.they were honest about the problem and were able to find it right away. we had another contractor give us a quote . they came over didn't even look inside and gave us a quote of $1700.00 . Top hat was able to diagnose the problem correctly and fix in a timely manner.

They came out precisely when they said they would. Unfortunately they were too busy to be able to provide the actual repair for a nimber of months. Therefore we had to go with another company.

We were very pleased with the service. The technician was prompt, professional, friendly and very clean. I would not hesitate to use their services again.

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I ordered a gas insert in January and they said they would contact me regarding an install date. No one contacted me to set up a date and, in the end, I had to contact them. That being said, the install was great, the guys that came for the install took the time to make sure that it was installed perfectly, even making a few suggestions to improve the appearance. Unfortunately, we had the wrong size face plate for the size of my fireplace, not a big deal, they arranged to order a larger size and would call when the piece came in. Again, no one called and I initiated the follow-up. That being said, overall - a very positive experience with everything except for scheduling which, all things considered, is pretty minor. I love my insert and have been using it a lot due to the chilly Spring. I would definitely recommend them to others.

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We recently moved into this home and needed to have the 2 flue, exterior brick chimney inspected. After inspection, it was decided that our wood stove insert (in the lower level) was installed with a direct connection to the flue. This is a method where the stove pipe is only run up to the smoke shelf where it stops - the rest of the flue is 13x13 clay lined. This type of install is hard to keep clean, leads to creosote build-up at the block off plate and doesn't draft efficiently. So, we decided to get it done right and put a full stainless steel flex liner running all the way from the stove up to the top of the chimney.
Scheduling: I had to be more proactive than I would have liked when getting the scheduling done. I had to email them on several occassions to remind them to set up the install time. A little bit of unresponsiveness is understood given the time of year.
Install: The installation went great. The technicians were very knowledgeable and friendly. They worked efficiently and answered all my questions along the way. I was very impressed with install.
Pricing: Pricing was right where I figured it should be given the cost of the liner and the install time.
Overall, I was very pleased with the experience. I would not hesitate to recommend Top Hat.

See above

Great. A very professional attitude. He called about one half hour before he arrived to let me know he would arrive slightly later than planned...a few minutes later. Much better than the previous business who didn't call and didn't show up! The job was done efficiently and quickly. I was told about upcoming possible repairs to the wood burner but was not pressured into doing work. Very friendly and considerate of our home. Glass on the fireplace and wood burner were left cleaner than they were since they were new. He cleaned up any mess that he made before leaving.

Top Hat did a fantastic job. The initial store consultation was informative and helpful. The estimator came to the house when scheduled and was very thorough. The installation crew was exceptional. The two individuals from Top Hat worked for 3 days removing two obsolete fireplace inserts, running new gas and electric lines and installing the three new units. They were very careful keeping the workspace clean and picking up all materials at the end of each days work. They readily answered questions, and consulted with me during the installation process when a question arose. In addition to being skilled technicians, they were excellent representatives for Top Hat.

It went very well. I did a ton of shopping. The prices for this insert were all over the place. Top Hat wasn't the cheapest but they proved their worth in the installation. I did a lot of the work myself and let them do the finishing work and quite frankly the most important work with regards to sealing up the exhaust, etc... I was very happy with their work and installatin support.

Top Hat provided expert knowledge on the selection and installation of the gas fireplace inserts and stove. Their showroom on Verona Road has a multitude of displays to assist you in selecting the fireplace or stove you want. In particular, their installation team of Dave and Tom provided truly exceptional service. For the installations gas lines had to be modified and extended, old fireplace inserts removed, and the new inserts and stove installed. Both Dave and Tom took particular care ensuring the carpet and wood floors in the house were not damaged during installation. They arrived promptly as scheduled and worked diligently for 4 days. They kept me informed of the progress of the installation throughout the day. When there were installation options, they presented me with choices and recommendations. Dave provided clear information on the care and use of each of the fireplace inserts and stove, and demonstrated their operation.
For a purchase such as these fireplace inserts and stove, the installation process can make or break the assessment of the service provider. Both Dave and Tom were courteous, professional, and helpful in all phases of the installation. I highly recommend Top Hat for employing such excellent employees, who clearly take and quot;top hatand quot; customer service to heart.

Their report was very detailed and clear. I felt that my buyers were getting an excellent service for what they were paying for. It was quite expensive because they were inspecting the furnace, chimney, and two other fireplaces that had chimneys. They diagnosed issues very well, which helped my client.

It went very well. He also cleaned my fireplace and the windows. It never looked so clean after he was done.