Top Hat Chimney Services

Information may not be reliable

Welcome to the website of Top Hat Chimney Service, Inc. Top Hat is owned and operated by Gene Michael. Gene is a retired fire department Battalion Chief who did 30 years of service with the City of Rochester. Upon retirement, Gene decided to pursue a career that would match his knowledge base from 30 years of firefighting. He found that chimney sweeping and its related activities would be a perfect fit for his background.

Gene spent one week in Plainfield, Indiana, at the Chimney Safety Institute of America, in order to be certified as a chimney sweep. This certification has only been earned by one other chimney sweep in Monroe County. It is awarded only to those who successfully complete the training and pass a rigorous exam that is given at the end of the training week. The certification is good for three years and can only be renewed by passing another exam or by earning a number of relevant continuing education units. Certified sweeps are particularly trained to work in conformance to NFPA 211 , which is the nationally recognized standard for solid fuel-burning appliances.

Training according to this standard allows sweeps to spot many potentially dangerous conditions that could lead to building fires if left uncorrected. It also contains extensive information about performance issues for fireplaces, wood stoves, and inserts. Some of the items that are addressed by this standard are: Proper chimney height, clearances to combustibles, fireplace construction, chimney construction, and maintenance issues.

In addition to being a certified chimney sweep, Gene is also a certified fireplace/chimney inspector. This certification is through the Fireplace Investigation, Research & Education Service (F.I.R.E.) in Moorpark, CA. This is a nationally recognized certification that is considered the gold standard for fireplace/chimney inspectors in the United States. There are only seven certified inspectors in New York state. Gene is the only dual certified chimney sweep/fireplace inspector in Monroe County.

Another service of ours that is somewhat unique in this area is performing video scans of chimney flues. The scans are performed by inserting a video camera up into the chimney flue. The camera sends a video signal to a remote monitor so that the condition of the flue can be closely examined. The images can then be captured in a digital format for viewing on a computer monitor. These scans are highly recommended for home buyers who should know the condition of the chimney flue before finalizing a home purchase. Video scans are also required by some area fire marshals whenever a chimney fire has occurred.