Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterMeet the Long Island Team Behind Top Hat Chimney
Top Hat Chimney has been working on Long Island chimneys since 1999, and the crew that shows up at your door is the same one you’ll run into at the hardware store on Saturday. No rotating cast of subcontractors, no trainee-of-the-week. Wendell Pike built this company by hiring people who treat a chimney inspection like it’s their own house on the line. Each team member is background-checked, uniformed, and trained on the brands we trust: DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. Most have been with us for years. A few have been here for over a decade.
Our People
Wendell Pike, Owner and Founder
Wendell started Top Hat Chimney in 1999 with one truck, a set of brushes, and a simple rule: tell people the truth about their chimney, even when it costs you the job. Nearly three decades later, he still answers the phone, still shows up on job sites, and still writes the 90-Day Done Right Promise on every single job ticket. He’s the guy who will look at a flue, tell you it doesn’t need a liner yet, and then explain exactly what to watch for so you’re not surprised later. Wendell is licensed and insured, and his name is on the work. He likes it that way. He’s also the reason we answer calls around the clock, because he genuinely believes a chimney question at 11 p.m. shouldn’t wait until morning.
Dominic R., Lead Technician
Dominic has been with Top Hat Chimney for fourteen years, which means he’s swept somewhere north of eight thousand flues on Long Island. He’s certified in chimney inspection and specializes in diagnosing hard-to-find drafting problems, the kind where smoke backs up into the house and nobody can figure out why. Give him five minutes with a camera scope, and he’ll find it. Dominic grew up in a house with a wood stove and knows the difference between a chimney that looks clean and one that actually is. He’s also the crew’s unofficial weather forecaster, which is more useful than it sounds when you’re scheduling masonry work.
Elena V., Senior Installer
Elena leads our liner and rebuild work, and she’s the person you want on your roof if your chimney crown has seen better decades. She’s certified in stainless steel liner installation and has completed hundreds of HeatShield and DuraFlex installations across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Elena is meticulous about measurements and even more meticulous about cleanup, which customers mention constantly in reviews. She joined Top Hat nine years ago after working in residential construction, and she’s the one who will take the time to show you your before-and-after camera footage and walk you through what changed. Off the clock, she restores old furniture, which explains why her caulk lines are unreasonably straight.
Marcus T., Service Coordinator and Apprentice Sweep
Marcus is usually the first voice you hear when you call Top Hat Chimney. He joined as a service coordinator three years ago and has been training as a sweep ever since, which means the person booking your appointment actually understands what the job involves. He’ll give you an arrival window, call if anything changes, and make sure the price you’re quoted on the phone matches the invoice exactly. Marcus handles scheduling, manages our free second-opinion requests, and keeps track of the standing discounts for seniors and veterans so they’re applied automatically. On job sites, he’s the one hauling brushes and learning liner work, and he’s faster with a drop cloth than anyone else on the crew.
One Standard, Every Job
Every person on this team works to the same set of rules. The price is set before tools come off the truck. The camera footage gets shown to you, with a plain-English explanation of what it means. If something doesn’t need doing, we say so. And when the job is finished, it’s backed by the 90-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not right, one call brings us back at no additional cost. Wendell signs that promise on every ticket, and Dominic, Elena, and Marcus are the ones who make it stick. We’ve been doing it this way on Long Island since 1999, and we’re not about to change now.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Long Island since 1999.