When choosing a chimney maintenance company, certifications and professional credentials matter. For many homeowners, hiring a CSIA certified chimney sweep was a way to ensure that a highly trained professional was caring for your fireplace in chimney. However, the CSIA recently expanded its credential offerings to include “Master Chimney Sweep,” a new distinction available only to a few of the best chimney sweeps in the country.
What is a Certified Master Sweep?
For many years, holding a Chimney Safety Institute of America, or CSIA, certification was the highest professional accreditation in the chimney and fireplace industry. In 2016, however, the CSIA expanded its credential offerings to include “CSIA Master Chimney Sweep”.
“This credential identifies the best of the best”, said Mark Stoner, CSIA Board President. “The individuals hand-selected for this honor have consistently proven themselves in the industry and have truly gone above and beyond in their efforts to stay at the top of their field.”
The Master Chimney Sweep credential represents the highest – and most difficult to achieve – level of certification for chimney sweeps. While the CSIA Certification is earned through a testing and education process, the Master Chimney Sweep certification is done through an application, vetting, and interview process by the CSIA Board of Directors. In addition, potential applicants for this certification must already hold a CSIA Certification for at least ten years.
Why work with a certified chimney sweep?
Fireplace and chimney maintenance is about more than just ladders, brushes, and vacuums; true, effective chimney maintenance requires education, training, and an extensive knowledge base. Because of this, homeowners should always work with CSIA certified chimney sweeps.
To earn a CSIA certification, sweeps must pass a certification test that includes subject areas such as building codes, EPA efficiency standards, and best practices for cleaning, inspecting, and maintaining a variety of heating appliances. In order to maintain this certification chimney sweeps must retest every three years; this ensures that all certified sweeps are up to date on the latest safety and technology standards in the industry.
Working with a certified chimney sweep goes beyond training and professionalism; earning a CSIA certification requires chimney sweeps to adhere to a code of ethics. For homeowners, this means that you can trust you are receiving fair and honest service at competitive prices.
At Coopertown Services, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with a variety of high quality chimney and fireplace services. Whether you have animals in your chimney, need your fireplace rebuilt, or need an inspection before buying or selling a home, our highly trained staff of chimney sweeps can provide you with the best service the industry has to offer.
Using a certified chimney sweep ensures that you are working with a true industry professional. A Certified Master Chimney Sweep, meanwhile, is one of the most experienced and trusted professionals in the country. If you are in the Shelby County area and are ready to trust your chimney maintenance to a Certified Master Chimney Sweep, contact Coopertown Services today.