Sweeping Magazine- July 2016

Sweeping July 2016 VOLUME 40 #6

The Journal of Chimney and Venting Technology

Disaster Strikes Do We Operate in a Black & White or a Gray World Chicken or Egg? Marketing by the Numbers

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Departments President’s Letter 3 Editor’s Letter 5 Coach’s Corner 12 Sweeps Advantage 17 Progressive Perks 18 Technical Q&A 19 History Project 20 Date and Events 26 New Members 28 Around the Tech Center 34 Classifieds 35 Darwin Award 36

Table of Contents Sweeping July 2016 Volume 40 Issue 6

Features

Chicken or Egg ?

Disaster Strikes

Marketing by the Numbers

6 21 24 VS. July 2016

Jim Brewer Gas Venting and NFPA 54 (317) 203-0088 x: 3 John Pilger Oil Flue Sizing, Relining or NFPA 31 (317) 203-0088 x: 4 Randy Brooks IRC, NFPA 211 or Customer Communications (317) 203-0088 x: 5 Bart Ogden Stainless Steel Lining, Video Scanning and Narrative Report Writing (317) 203-0088 x: 6

Fred Joy Installation and Venting of Pellet Stoves (317) 203-0088 x: 7 Jay Walker Dryer Vents (317) 203-0088 x: 8 Rett Rasmussen Vented and Vent Free Gas Logs and Controls (317) 203-0088 x: 9 Rich Martinez Dryer Vents or Masonry (317) 203-0088 x: * Rich Rua General Sweeping or Relining (317) 203-0088 x: 0

NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016-2017

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Chris Prior Masonry Construction and Restoration and Priorfire Fireboxes (317) 203-0088 x: 2

S W E E P I N G

2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168 (317) 837-1500 Fax: (317) 837-5365

Frances Kelly Excecutive Director fkelly@ncsg.org Megan McMahon Director of Finance mmcmahon@ncsg.org Debbie Cornelius Membership Development Coordinator dcornelius@ncsg.org Donna Lee Kasmer CSIA Certification Coordinator dkasmer@csia.org Claire Rutledge Program Coordinator crutledge@ncsg.org

July 2016

Darcy Marlett Director of Communications and Marketing dmarlett@ncsg.org Jordan Whitt CSIA Director of Communications and Marketing jwhitt@csia.org Ashley Edridge Director of Education ashley@csia.org Sara Sichting Office Manager ssichting@ncsg.org

COMMITTEE CHAIRS and TASK FORCES 2016 – 2017

2

STAFF

Resources

Region 6 Bob Ferrari (530) 941-5818 bob@flueseason.com

Vice President, Region 5 Jasper Drengler (715) 304-8934 drengler01@gmail.com

Secretary, At Large Director Gregg Boss (636) 391-2226 englishsweep@att.net

Treasurer, Region 3 Ron Rust (803) 730-5858 tophatswp@aol.com

At-Large Director Tom Hunkele (515) 249-6337 nopnotchchimney@gmail.com

Region 1 Mike Elliott (508) 987-6348 sootguy@aol.com

At-Large Director Dennis Dobbs (256) 845- 9814 info@fireplaceservicecenter. com

Region 2 Ed Ridgeway (856) 241-7999 masons@chimney-duct.com

To contact any member of the Technical Advisory Council, please call (317) 203-0088 and select the extension for the person who is best qualified to answer your question: Be advised that advice given by NCSG’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) reflects best practices of the chimney sweeping industry. However, we are unable to account for any particular type of situation since regional variations in construction practices and additional environmental, physical and geographical factors necessarily vary the level of service appropriate for a particular fireplace and/or chimney.

Additionally, local laws and ordinances may govern and/ or supersede the information and any recommendations provided. Final determinations are the responsibility of a local professional with firsthand knowledge of the situation, and the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Neither NCSG nor any member of TAC will be held liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance on information provided by anyone associated with TAC. By your use of this member benefit you acknowledge acceptance of these terms.

President, At Large Director Jeremy Biswell (913) 236-7141 fluesbrothers@yahoo.com

Region 4 Jeff Keefer 513-248-9600 info@chimneycareco.com

Supplier Representative Stuart Karanovich (765) 966-5084 stuartk@saversystems.com

Bylaws Jasper Drengler (715) 304-8934 drangler01@yahoo.com

Membership Bob Ferrari (530) 221-3331 bob@flueseason.com

Ethics Andy Raycroft (703) 836-7858 andy@rooftopchimneysweeps.con

NFPA 211 Representative Jim Brewer (757) 523-2400 jbrewer@magic-sweep.com

Governance Jay Walker (850) 562-4692 sweepingJ@aol.com

NFPA 31 Representative John Pilger (631) 863-2460 chimneyman@aol.com

Government Affairs Mike Elliot (508) 987-6348 sootguy@aol.com

NFPA 54 Jim Brewer (757) 523-2400 jbrewer@magic-sweep.com

International Relations John Pilger (631) 863-2460 chimneyman@aol.com

Technical Advisory Council Michael Segerstrom (908) 253-9190 chimneysweeps@optonline.net

Long Range Planning Jeremy Biswell (913) 236-7141 fluesbrothers@yahoo.com

Scholarship Committee Greg Boss (636) 391-2226 englishsweep@att.net

ADVERTISING RATES for Sweeping: The Journal of Chimney & Venting Technology may be obtained by contacting Malisa Minetree at (317) 815-4688 or sweepingads@me.com Layout and design by David Bruce, Red2 Design Bureau NCSG encourages industry partners to submit press releases and articles to editor Darcy Marlett at dmarlett@ncsg.org. Submissions should contain items of interest or importance to the chimney and venting industry. Submissions should not contain direct solicitations, prices, or a call to action on the part of our readers. Submissions may contain images or artwork attached in a .jpg format.

In all cases, NCSG reserves the right to edit submissions to fit space limitations, keep the release and publish at a later date, or refuse to publish the release for any reason. Neither publishing, nor refusing to publish the submission should be considered a statement of NCSG’s opinion regarding the release.

NCSG further reserves the right to reject at any time any advertising determined not to be in keeping with the publication’s standards.

Acceptance of advertising by Sweeping magazine does not necessarily constitute endorsement of products or services advertised. NCSG does not make any effort to review or substantiate claims made by advertisers. © 2016 National Chimney Sweep Guild, 2155 Commercial Drive, Plainfield, IN 46168. (317) 837-1500

A

couple days ago I arrived at my shop. It was a Monday morning. I am kind of like the cartoon cat Garfield when it comes to Mondays. It’s the busiest day of the week coming off a restful weekend. I have banned all extra activities and it is a standing rule that no meetings or extras happen on Mondays.

It is a day to get the week prepped, put our nose to the grindstone and get stuff done!

I had been out in the field all day the previous Friday training several new technicians, so I was not around for the stack of boxes that had arrived at our shop door Friday. As I sorted through the Amazon and UPS boxes, checking off material that I had ordered from various suppliers and vendors, I came across one box that contained something special.

I opened the box to a note in a white envelope. Enclosed was a nice note written from Will Dawson. I had seen him the previous week at Sweeps Week.

After reading some nice written words, I dug deeper into the box and found a framed autographed picture of UFC legend Ken Shamrock! According to a text I had received from Will a couple days earlier, Will was at a location where he got a picture with Ken Shamrock. I promptly dug up an old photo that I had gotten with Ken Shamrock several years back and texted that back to Will.

Both of our pictures were way cool and we both agreed it was fun to meet a celebrity.

I was blown away that Will had thought of me enough to get not only an autographed picture of

Ken Shamrock, frame it, and send it to me, but it was also personalized and made out to Fluesbrothers (my chimney company’s name). What a great gift! What a great start to my work week. Will is not only a great representative at Lindemann Chimney Supply, but he is a good friend to me and my family.

President’s

Letter Jeremy Biswell

President

A quick Google search defines the word “friend” as: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. When I look at my Facebook profile, run down my cell phone contacts, or just run through a list in my head of my friends, the majority of those people close to me are people in this industry. Since the day I first joined the National Chimney Sweep Guild, I have grown my list of friends in my life. We are all fortunate to have a trade association that has been not only built around professionalism, but has a foundation of friendship and allows us to connect with one another.

Chimney Sweeps are some of the friendliest and most sharing people I have ever met. This is not always apparent with people from other trades.

Friendliness is a trait American Chimney sweeps share with chimney sweeps I have met from around the world. Last year, when I attended the ESCHFOE conference in Germany, all of the American delegates were

3 S W E E P I N G July 2016

welcomed with interest and kindness. I have not yet attended Spazzacamini, but I have seen nothing but smiling, singing faces when I look at pictures and videos from the event.

I imagine I will be welcomed with open arms and invited to visit, eat, and drink with new friends that we share a common trade with. I look forward to making even more friends.

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Every year I look forward to the NCSG convention. It doesn’t matter much to me where the location is or what the weather is like there.

I do look forward to the classes and learning new things, but most of all, I look forward to seeing friends. Hugs, handshakes, and “how have you been” satisfy a deep human need we all have. All humans have basic needs that must be satisfied. Love and belonging are quickly satisfied when surrounded in a room full of friends.

Sure, Facebook and other social media keep us connected, but there is nothing like a face to face meeting with people in your life. Especially the ones you only get to see once a year.

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I write this letter in appreciation of all the good people of our industry. We take things for granted sometimes. Sometimes life is tough, rough, and beats us down. Our friends are there to pick us back up and dust the soot off our backs.

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July 2016

Summertime is upon us. Even though the days get longer, it is not uncommon for our schedule book to get smaller. Take some time to visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while.

Maybe send them a hand written letter in the mail. Tell them you appreciate them and how much their friendship means to you.

Whether it is a fellow chimney sweep or someone else in your life, always be on the lookout for opportunities to do something random that might brighten a friends day.

Thanks for being part of my life, Jeremy Biswell, NCSG President

J

uly is here bringing family vacations, sunshine, and for many parts of the country storms, floods, tornados and other natural disasters that can befall homes and businesses.

This month we had two writers take on the theme of what to do after a disaster. Michael Segerstrom’s Technical Q & A deals with helping a customer check that their chimney system is in safe working order after a bad storm. For an opinion on how to protect your business from disaster from and insurance perspective check out Cam Arnold’s article, “Disaster Strikes!: How to Protect Your Business and Add Value to Clients.”

Editor’s

Many chimney sweeps find themselves in the position of delivering bad news to clients regarding their chimneys following a perspective. In this month’s Coach’s Corner by Jerry Isenhour seeks to offer a different perspective on how we deliver bad news to clients.

Letter Darcy Marlett Editor

If you’re looking for something a little more fun this month’s History Project, Darwin Award, and Where Has Your Sweeping Been? are sure to put a smile on your face.

I hope you all are finding lots of time to spend with friends and family during the summer (aka the slow season for many of you). If you’re passing through the Indianapolis area on your travels be sure to stop by the Tech Center to say hello!

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5 S W E E P I N G

VS.

Taylor Hill

Chicken or Egg

Spark Marketer

6 S W E E P I N G

I

was recently speaking with a small business owner who is turning his business over to his son and daughter-in-law. During our conversation, he told me that one of the biggest difficulties his son and daughter-inlaw are facing with the transition is knowing which marketing decisions to make – and that’s understandable. After all, there are so many different directions you can go in and so many different choices you can make. How can you be sure which direction is right for your company?

Look at What’s Working & What’s Not Working Although no one can tell you exactly what is right for your business, you can look at what is and isn’t

July 2016

working and ask others with similar businesses of similar size what has and hasn’t worked for them. Some choices are just the wrong choices, no matter where you are in your business journey, and asking around can help you eliminate these choices from the get go. For example: YP. We have over 100 clients and the vast majority of them tell us YP no longer works. When it does, the area is rural or serves an aging population. Ask around!

Look At Motive Whatever marketing option you may be considering, whether online or off, look at motive.

Although there are several reasons why YP doesn’t work, I’d be willing to bet that the leading reason is that they are motivated by money and

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money alone. They see small businesses as lowhanging fruit, but they aren’t truly motivated to help the small businesses they work with.

Yes, we all work to pay our bills and feed our families, but why else do we work? When considering handing over your marketing dollars, look at the business’ core values and mission statement, and how they treat you and speak to you. Motive is typically fairly transparent. If you think the company is only out for their own interests, they probably are, and they probably aren’t the best fit for you if you’re looking for someone who cares about your business and where you’re headed.

The Right Choice At The Wrong Time Of course sometimes, business decisions and marketing choices can be good or bad, depending on the timing. That’s why you need to look at your business and its path and progression when making these types of decisions.

The couple I mentioned above has been speaking with a very persuasive sales coach, who has worked hard to convince them that they should hire him to provide sales coaching for their business right now. The issue they have to consider is, they are the only two people in the business. Would they really benefit all that much from sales training of any kind at this current moment? Is this the next logical step?

Only the business owner can determine that.

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As the co-owner of a marketing company whose core values include cultivating meaningful partnerships, I’ve come alongside countless business owners, owners of companies of all sizes, and have seen this issue more than once.

The problem isn’t necessarily that companies are making the wrong choices, but that they’re making these choices at the wrong time.

When it comes to marketing decisions, and even financial decisions, you need to take a step back and look at the logical progression of your business. Just because another company has done something and it has completely changed their world, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you to do right this moment. Take a look at where they were as a business when they made that decision.

Yes, it may be a great thing for your company, but does it make sense for your company right

July 2016

now? Do you have all the things in order that you need to have in order before taking that next step? Whether you’re considering hiring a business/sales/technical coach or implementing a marketing strategy, ask yourself, “Is this the next logical step for my business?” If it’s not, wait!

Those of us at Spark Marketer have turned away companies that weren’t quite ready for us. Why? Because we’re motivated by a desire to help small business owners, not hurt them. If they aren’t structurally ready to take on the business we can bring them, investing marketing dollars with us can actually overwhelm them and hurt their reputation.

You have to do what’s right for you right now.

Which Comes First? The Chicken Or The Egg? Although I can’t tell you exactly what the next step should be for you and your business, I can tell you what sort of progression makes sense. Hopefully, looking at your business with these steps in mind will give you the clarity to know whether you’re doing the right thing at the right time: Step 1. Network: Before you can implement paid training and marketing programs, you need to be doing something to bring business in the door to pay for the training and marketing. One of the best ways to do this is through networking groups like BNI and the Chamber of Commerce.

By joining a local chapter, you’ll be put in front of people within your own community who can refer you to others and help you increase your business and reputation. If you want proof that this works, listen to the Guys In Trucks podcast interview with Jamie Pagliei – his business increased 300% because he committed himself to making the most of his local BNI chapter.

Once business starts consistently coming in through referrals and networking, you should be able to create a consistent marketing budget. Realistically, you need to have at least $1,000-$1,500 a month in your marketing budget for consistent marketing. The key to successful marketing is consistency!

Step 2. Staff Up: If you’re maximizing your networking opportunities and marketing budget, business should be picking up. You need to make sure you have enough staff to keep up with the business that’s rolling in and to deliver

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what you’re promising your customers.

Have you ever been to a restaurant that is popular and understaffed? It never ends well. No matter how committed to quality an employee is, one person cannot do it all and do it all well. If the business doesn’t hire enough people to meet the demands of the customers, business will go from booming to barely scraping by. Why? An understaffed business is bound to disappoint a customer, and all it takes is one bad service experience to run a customer off for life.

If you’re planning on bringing in a lot of customers, you need to first bring in the right people to serve those customers. Taking steps in the wrong order can have your raking in the business and running it right back out.

Step 3. Bring In The Trainers. Ok, so business is coming in steadily and you’ve upped your staff to meet the service demands. What now? NOW is the time to start bringing in trainers. I know several service businesses that have benefited from the coaching services of Jerry Isenhour over at CVC

Coaching. Do your research, ask around, and find a coach you think will truly challenge you and help you, your team, and your business grow.

Once you find the right coach, bring them in!

Note: Just because you’re not at a place in your business where you can afford to spend money on training doesn’t mean you can’t start investing in yourself and your team. There are a lot of free or low cost training options out there, you just have to look for them! You can oftentimes receive free training from manufacturers, like Lindemann Chimney Co. Additionally, many coaches and trainers will gladly offer a free analysis. You just have to think about what makes the most sense for your business, financially and logically.

If there are only two of you in the business (like in the example at the beginning of this article), maybe you’re not ready to fork out big bucks to bring a sales coach in. Why not read some great books and look for free training until you’re at a size where you could maximize the benefit of bringing in a sales coach?

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Some great books to start with: Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless (Jeffrey Gitomer) Little Red Book Of Selling (Jeffrey Gitomer) 21 Laws Of Leadership (John C. Maxwell) Developing The Leader Within You (John C. Maxwell) The E-Myth (Michael E. Gerber) Blue Collar Gold (Mark Stoner) Never Eat Alone (Keith Ferrazzi) The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People (Stephen R. Covey) Unselling (Scott Stratten & Alison Kramer)

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Step 4. Focus On Client Retention. Now it’s time to bring your focus to the retention side of your marketing strategy.

What are you doing to engage customers and keep them loyal to your business? Focusing solely on attracting new customers is a surefire way to throw marketing dollars out the window! It doesn’t matter how well-trained, well-staffed, or well-read you are if you’re not staying connected with the customers you’ve attracted and taking steps to ensure you’re the only chimney care company they’ll think to call. If you’re looking for some automated help for the retention side of things, reach out to me at taylor@sparkmarketer.com.

Taylor Hill is Co-Founder and Crew Chief for Spark Marketer, a local online marketing company specializing in marketing for service businesses across the US. He loves the chimney industry and is passionate about helping service business owners navigate the Internet oceans filled with sharks and unsavory pirates. @sparkmarketer, facebook. com/sparkmarketer, @taylorkhill

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Coach’s

Corner Jerry Isenhour

This month’s Coaches Corner was inspired in part by the Realities of Real Estate column in the Capital Gazette Newspaper. The title of the column in question was “Are chimney inspectors just blowing smoke?” and can be found online at: http://www.capitalgazette.com/ news/business/ph-ac-housing0515-20160515-story.html. t seems, in our beloved chimney and venting industry, we live with the idea that things regarding fireplaces, appliances, vents and chimneys are pretty much black and white. I.e. this chimney/ fireplace meets the code or it doesn’t. If it does, it’s good to use. If it doesn’t it’s a hazard.

But the truth is, nothing is ever that straightforward in life, and certainly not in this industry. Because, we all know that a chimney can meet the letter of codes and standards, and still not function properly.

And, we also know that it can have flaws the letter of the code does not permit and still function perfectly fine for a number of years. This may be a tough notion to grasp fully, after all, we were likely taught; it was all about safety.

The reasons for these apparent discrepancies between code, usability and functionality are many. Some may have to do with pressure issues unique to the house. Some may be related to architectural or natural impediments that keep the chimney from performing ideally. Even poor fireplace design can create a problem.

And, of course, appliance malfunction and other operator errors play a significant role in chimney and vent performance.

Adding to this are the changes in construction standards, changes in appliance

I Do We Operate in a Black & White, Or A Gray World?

12 S W E E P I N G July 2016

efficiencies, changes in energy codes, and changes in the flue gas temperatures. All of this influences the determination of what is proper, what is right, what is good, and what is bad. It is a determination that quite honestly cannot properly be rendered simply by checking the applicable codes and standards. Adding even complication, is the fact that hearth appliances, which we often deal with along with central heating and domestic hot water systems, have also become more complicated.

In other words, offering an opinion on the operational status of an appliance requires significantly more than a conformation that it meets applicable codes, standards, and the manufacturer’s installation guidelines.

Yet, invariably, we focus on issues such as cracks in the tiles or mortar gaps between tiles as major issues and flaws; and, this article does not mean to suggest we change that from being our course of action. But is it also our practice to predict somewhat dire consequences if these issues are not addressed? Even when we find outer structural faults that need to be addressed by tuck pointing or even rebuilding part of the chimney, our emphasis remains mostly on the issues with the liner that require pretty significant dollars to fix.

Often we are none too gentle in describing to the homeowner the consequences of not attending to this issue right away.

As a result, we are almost always confronted with a situation my friend, Rob Lindemann, once pointed out, “we have the job of going to a customer’s house when they expect to spend a couple hundred dollars, and then are told it is going to cost them

13 S W E E P I N G July 2016

14 S W E E P I N G

thousands to have what they thought they had before we ever arrived”. But in that conversation do we build confidence, build enthused customers, or do we more often upset the customer with the bad news we now must share with them?

Yes. It’s true. The dire possibilities we convey to them regarding the implications of failing to attend to the liner issues, are certainly real possibilities. But let’s be honest. The data simply does not show that any of these possibilities (house fires) occur with anything approaching alarming frequency. If they did, entire neighborhoods would be burning down pretty regularly, given the number of chimneys in America that do not meet code. If the danger was as immanent and as certain as is often proclaimed, there would be homes burning down due to faulty chimneys virtually every day. Families would be passing away from Carbon Monoxide poisoning so often CO detectors would be flying off the shelf like a sale on big screen TVs. So, to put it mildly, we have, at times, a tendency to overstate the case when we report damage or flaws with a chimney. Are we even looking at the all the real issues and discussing these with our customers? Furthermore, are we having these discussions in manner and tone that the customer will hear and accept, or is it more likely they will throw up a wall of disbelief and opposition to our opinions?

The truth is, if one reviews the actual news reports, frequently the issues we see reported as chimney fires are often related to hidden flaws. And many times there is not even the occurrence of a chimney fire.

July 2016

If we review the data of the many fire cases reported in the colder months, the true damaging chimney fires have other circumstances involved often related to concealed improper clearances. It is, in fact, common for the source of a structural fire to be reported as a chimney fire, when, in fact, it is actually a chase or wall fire due to improper framing clearances.

The really sad fact is that these are areas we can only assume to be faulty unless we complete a destructive form of inspection.

Now, you may argue it’s better to overstate this case than to understate it. Lives are at stake, property is at stake, etc. And I will agree with you up to a point. But, in my opinion, we are at times going far above and beyond our duty in this regard by such a wide margin other industries are beginning to become very suspicious of our motives and of our stature as venting technicians. We are damaging our credibility to industries such as home inspectors, HVAC, plumbers, realtors, builders, and masons.

The list is long and the long term effect, while it may not appear on the surface, is very damaging to us.

The truth is even when we’ve fixed the interior issues, whatever they are. The many significant safety issues may still remain concealed. So, even if we repair or replace the liner, we cannot promise the chimney is “safe”. In fact, we should not even suggest that is the case. If we do, we are giving the homeowner a false sense of security about a system which not only may have hidden flaws, but one which may be exposed to operator error and misuse the minute we walk out the door. Would any of us be

willing to sign an agreement that we have made the chimney safe? I certainly hope not.

Even the Level 2 inspection does not delve into concealed areas. Nor is it a test of the performance of the chimney.

Thus, even with a Level 2 inspection, we have issues that remain out of our control and outside our ability to even offer advice about. In fact, even if we move to the Level 3 standard, still the conditions of use remain out of our control. And to be honest, no matter how indepth our process is, we cannot even hint the system will not fail from conditions that are beyond our ability to foresee.

So, what’s the answer? How should we address code issues and damage issues we observe when evaluating masonry chimneys? What is a reasonable position to take? How can we alert the owner to real problems in their system without overstating the case and making ourselves look like alarmists or worse, opportunists?

How can we even pretend that the diagnosis we are providing is thorough enough to be beyond some significant measure of speculation?

Before we examine answers to that question, let’s take a hard look about what it means to be a venting technician in the present day and into the foreseeable future. Because, like it or not, the definition goes far beyond the current knowledge and experience required for CSIA or NFI certification.

It goes beyond having a ‘general’ understanding of the issues that relate to chimney performance, deterioration, stability, structural integrity, and ultimately operational worthiness.

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A true venting technician must have a deep understanding of physics, chemistry, metallurgy, masonry, and design. This person must understand codes, standards, and venting theory, as well as possess an understanding of the limitation of the products he inspects. They must have the communication skills to convey their findings in ways that are clear, understandable, and accurate without causing undue alarm. All of this should result in a consumer who feels good about their experience with us and the value they were provided.

A true venting technician must show themselves to be a respectable and valued home service technician in their appearance, manner, disposition, level of knowledge, perspective, diagnostic ability, and the orderliness and efficiency with which they do their work.

If they can convey this level of expertise with every interaction they have with their customers and other professionals, then and only then will they, and the industry they represent, be respected by the other professionals they interact with in associated industries.

They must remember that honey gathers more flies than vinegar, and they must keep that principle in mind whenever they explain diagnostic findings to their customers and other professionals. Their words must be dispassionate, well-reasoned, accurate, clear, and factual.

They cannot, nor should they ever, make claims regarding either the immanent failure of a system they have inspected, nor, as stated above, the probable safety of that system. They must be able to calmly discuss all the options the homeowner has for addressing flaws that have been observed in the

system and be able to provide realistic pros and cons for each.

In short, the venting technician must be thorough. Thorough in their diagnosis, thorough in their work, and thorough in their explanations and suggestions. They will be judged as valuable and worthy not solely by their work, but by their words, their honesty, and their language: in fact the latter may well overshadow the former in this statement.

By being able to conduct themselves in this manner, they are, in essence, selling themselves by the very process they use to build a relationship with their customer and gain trust. When this happens, selling on fear is no longer needed.

Rather, selling happens because of a genuine need presented by the technician which is accepted based on the trust the technician has earned in the eyes of the customer.

I would like to see us, as an industry, aspire to creating venting technicians of this caliber. I think we must make that our goal if we are to gain and keep the kind of respect I believe we deserve. And, we must make it a goal if we are to fulfill our role as protectors of the homes and families we serve.

Unless we can move to a higher level of conduct, it will be impossible to grow our pie and to gain respect for what we do from the American consuming public.

Remember, while we have admired the inroads our European colleagues have made, many do not realize these inroads did not come from a concentration on safety. Rather the progressive leadership of the chimney masters in Europe places the importance of the chimney sweeper in his service for cleaner air, and for

savings in fuel due to more efficient functioning of heating appliances. These are the processes and services that have served them well for many years.

It is my hope you view this article as enlightening and as opening a topic that will guide our conversation towards a new way to view our industry.

Possibly it may also suggest new language that will accomplish our goals, and not compromise our standing as experts whose credibility can be questioned.

Perhaps this may even present more questions than answers for now. But hopefully, with insight and consideration for our future, you can be one of the people who conceives the future trails we as an industry will move in to assure that we are providing the expertise so needed in this field.

About the Author: Jerry Isenhour is an industry consultant, educator and coach who authors a monthly article in Sweeping as a service to the industry. For more information about Jerry and how his team can assist you individually and your business in your quest for success and your ascent to the next level, take a look at his web site www.cvccoaching.com He can be contacted at jerry@cvccoaching. com or by phone at (704) 425-0217.

You can also obtain great business tips from his Facebook page CVC Coaching and Youtube channel CVCCoaching.

Sweeps

AThank dvantage You – 2015-2016 Sweeps Advantage Coupon Program Supplier Participants!

A “special thanks” to those Supplier members listed below for supporting the NCSG’s 2015 – 2016 Sweeps Advantage Coupon Program! Look for the new 2016 – 2017 offers on the NCSG website and in the “Members Only” section of the website.

Copperfield Chimney Supply • ENERVEX, Inc. • Fireside Distributors • HY-C Company LLC • My Fireplace Products Inc. • National Chimney • Olympia Chimney Supply • Spark Marketer • The Chimney Sweep News (SNEWS) • Wakefield Brush • Z-Flex U.S. Inc. NCSG supplier members are invited to participate in the 2016-2017 Sweeps Advantage Coupon Program providing a member benefit for NCSG sweep member companies. Your participation gives your company several marketing avenues and shows your continued support of the NCSG and its members where it counts the most…YOUR CUSTOMERS! If you choose to use the same offers please email me at membership@ncsg.org. I’ll take care of the rest. Or, if you wish to provide new coupon offers again just send and email.

If you have any questions regarding the 2016-2017 Sweeps Advantage Coupon Program, please do not hesitate to contact me at 317-837-1500 or dcornelius@ncsg.org.

Look forward to hearing from you!

17 S W E E P I N G July 2016

Progressive

Perks Debbie Cornelius

Membership Development Coordinator

REACH OUT, CONNECT AND RECRUIT!

E

very time you recruit a new member you benefit.

More members mean more networking opportunities, more resources and better ways to advance the profession.

The Member-Get-A-Member program is a way to get new members and give you, the referring sweep a reward too and it is easy to do. Reaching out to potential new members when you interact at meetings and events is a great time to tell them why you joined the NCSG, why you continue to be a member of the NCSG, and how the contacts you’ve made through NCSG have influenced you personally and professionally. Give NCSG your endorsement and invite them to join!

All you need to do is make sure they place your name on Item #2 Who referred you

to the NCSG of the NCSG membership application form so you will receive credit for: • $50.00 off membership dues for each two — four* new members • FREE membership dues (equal to 1 year) 5+* new members Prefer to refer?

Just send contact information to Debbie Cornelius at dcornelius@ ncsg.org and she will take the next step and make sure you receive credit when they join. *New Member – has not been a member of the NCSG for at least four (4) years.

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NCSG 2017 National Convention Call for Speakers The National Chimney Sweep Guild is now accepting speaker proposals for presentations at the NCSG 2017 National Convention March 15-18, 2017 at the Galt House in Louisville, KY. We invite you to share your knowledge with your peers in the industry by presenting a session.

Presentations should not be product specific, make references to brand names, or be a platform for sales.

The NCSG Convention Planning Committee will review all presentation proposals. Selections will be made based on quality, relevance, practical application, timeliness and on the presenter’s experience and credentials.

Find the application at www.ncsgconvention.org

July 2016

Technical

Q&A

Micheal Segerstrom

NCSG Technical Advisory Chair

Question: I have a client that recently had a tree fall on their home during a bad storm.

They said the fireplace chimney looks okay, that one brick and their chimney cap were knocked to the ground. The client also said the roofer told them it looks okay, just the one brick and some cement work.

They want an estimate to reinstall the brick and replace the cap.

I’m relatively new to the industry, and this is my first homeowner with storm damage. Is there anything specific I need to know before I stop by and give them an estimate?

Answer. Yes. The most important thing we need to do is inspect the chimney. From the outside, the chimney or the damage to it might not look that bad. Since it’s likely that the roofer and the homeowner are not chimney professionals, the accuracy of their determinations are probably limited. According to the NFPA 211, the chimney should be subject to the scope of a Level 2 inspection “after an external event likely to have caused damage to the chimney”. Level 2 will put us on the roof to look at the obvious, but it also has us looking at other areas including inside the chimney. If a tree hit the chimney with enough force, there is the potential for liner damage, damage in the firebox area, or even structural damage. And the roofer’s recommendation for some cement work might actually translate into a partial rebuild.

During our Level 2 inspection, we should thoroughly document everything we observe. In some cases when there is storm damage, cracks may be present in the exterior that extend to concealed areas. An example would be a crack that travels down to the flashing.

Since flashing won’t stop this type of crack, it’s likely that it continues behind and below the flashing to concealed areas where adjacent combustibles are present. This would require further inspection, specifically Level 3. Another example would be a longitudinal crack. This type of crack will travel mostly horizontally. If it extends to the side of the home and is then concealed by siding, it

is reasonable to recommend further inspection as this crack may travel in areas where combustible sheathing is against or near the chimney.

Once we have completed a Level 2 inspection, then we should have enough information to provide an accurate repair estimate, or a recommendation for Level 3 inspection if necessary. In a case where the home has experienced storm damage, it’s likely their insurance company is already involved. Depending on the extent of chimney damage, the homeowner may want to provide our findings to the insurance company.

When we perform the Level 2 inspection, we might find defects or damage present that are not related to storm damage. They may be from improper original construction, age, use, or lack of maintenance. We will have to also inform the client of these conditions. Certain defects or damage may not be covered by their homeowner’s insurance, but many policies do have a code upgrade provision. That would mean other defects or damage (not related to the storm) may be covered.

Performing the appropriate level of inspection will show our professionalism, and providing the client with a detailed report that includes photographs will be especially helpful if they will be going through their insurance.

July 2016

19 S W E E P I N G

History

Project

By Claire Rutledge

History Project Collection Oddities: Chimney Sweep Toilet Paper

I

n this month’s history project column we bring you photos of one of the more unique items in the collection: chimney sweep toilet paper! It was anonymously left behind in front

20 S W E E P I N G July 2016

of the history project display case during Sweeps Week. If you are the donor please let us know! I’d like to make a pun about it, but it’s tearable.

Disaster Strikes!: How to Protect Your Business and Add Value to Clients 21

By Cam Arnold

A

natural disaster is a phenomenon that can come with little or no warning. These acts of nature can easily leave a family, business, or an entire community rattled with devastation. It is important to understand how one can protect not only their business, but also their clients and their homes. Without proper insurance coverage, a business or homeowner can easily be stuck with funding the financial burdens caused by a natural disaster. It is imperative that you have a full understanding of how your insurance will pay out in the event of a total loss. Here are a few guidelines to follow in order to maintain

confidence in your insurance company’s ability to settle claims in a timely manner when a natural disaster strikes.

Insurance company’s financial stability: When natural disaster comes unannounced, there is a good chance the insurance company you are with will be affected beyond just you. It is usually widespread throughout the region. If an insurance company is not in good financial shape there is a good chance your claims may take longer to be paid, or even worse, not paid at all.

July 2016

S W E E P I N G

Definitive line between personal and business property (if it is a home based business):

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Insurance companies draw fine lines when it comes to settling claims. Usually your home and its contents are insured to value. However, if you don’t have your business contents included within that value, or your business contents insured on your business policy, you could end up footing the bill to replace whatever amount of property was uninsured. *If you are insuring your business contents through your homeowner’s policy, be sure to obtain written proof that your claim will be paid if a loss were to occur.

It is common for a homeowner’s policy to exclude home based businesses.

Detailed list of equipment and inventory on hand: There should be a list kept of any tools or equipment with a value of $500 or more.

Doing this will allow you to do 2 things.

1 Provide this list, including the value of the equipment to your insurance agent so they can schedule it on your policy.

Single-Flue

Deep double channel base for superior durability.

2 Allow the repurchasing of tools and equipment to be expedited because you know exactly what is missing.

Be sure to purchase Business Income Extra Expense coverage:

22 S W E E P I N G

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All hinges & screens run the full height to add stability & eliminate gaps between lid & mesh.

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July 2016

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This particular coverage is very important in order to get back to running after a natural disaster. This coverage works differently with each carrier, but this is a very broad explanation of how it works. You would take the average operating expense for any 30, 60, or 90 day period. In the event of a natural disaster, this coverage will kick in after a 24-72 hour waiting period. The insurance company will then provide II you the funds necessary to carry out your daily operating procedures. (employee wages, tools/equipment, temporary location, vehicles.) Without 4/24/14 1:57 PM

this coverage, a business owner could be stuck waiting on the insurance company to pay the claim in a timely manner before being able to return to work.

If you are stuck waiting on the insurance company, employees could possibly leave due to the lack of work and your inability to pay them because you do not have a stream of income. For example: A tornado rips through the town of XYZ Sweeps, leaving the building, all of the property, and vehicles nowhere to be found. Business Income Extra Expense coverage will provide the financial coverage to lease a new location, equipment, and vehicles. It will also pay your employee wages while they are not working, allowing you to retain your employees even though there is not work to be done. Business Income also pays all of your bills that are still required to be paid on top of any lost revenue the company is experiencing during this time of emergency.

Check your policy for covered perils When reviewing your policy with your agent, be sure to find out what perils will be covered in the event of a natural disaster. Based on your region, certain perils can be excluded (i.e. Wind, Hail, Fire) Flood and earthquake policies always have to be purchased separately. Be sure to have these exclusions removed if you are in a region where one of these weather patterns is more prevalent than the other.

Encourage your clients to double check their policy

When doing all client visits, prompt the home owner to contact their insurance agent and request a list of covered perils. This will allow them to see if there are coverage gaps for that could leave them with unforeseen expenses during times of emergency. Many times when a homeowner saves money on home insurance, it is because of a reduction in coverage. Of course you will run your routine maintenance/service call and suggest ways to structurally prepare the chimney and home, but encouraging your client to double check their policy could be another value added service for your business. If they come back and say “You were right! My policy did not include that coverage. Do you have any Insurance agencies you recommend?” Have a list of 2-3 reputable insurance agencies for them to contact. Not only will this look good on your behalf, but it could also generate referrals from the insurance agencies you refer business to.

Again, this doesn’t seem like much, but it adds value and makes your client know you are looking out for their best interest.

to ensure you or your client is fully covered!

Cam Arnold is a Commercial Risk Advisor and head of the Chimney Sweep Insurance Program for Geny Insurance Group. He is dedicated to working with associations to help business owner’s better understand the coverages they have versus the coverages they need. Geny Insurance Group helps organizations with “Navigating Today’s Risk.

Anticipating Tomorrow’s Uncertainty.”

When it comes to safeguarding against natural disasters, there is nothing you can do to predict, only prepare. Having proper insurance in place is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your business and your clients. Have this value added service introduced to your regular service/ maintenance routine will be sure to enhance your business/ client relationship. Never overlook little steps you can take

23 S W E E P I N G July 2016

Marketing by the Numbers

by Darin Bibeau President, National Chimney

24 S W E E P I N G July 2016

M

any of you take pride in delivering consistent, highquality service to your customers, and you have your hands full tracking and ordering inventory, scheduling appointments, training staff, etc.

With all of that going on, it can be hard to focus on acquiring new customers and retaining your more profitable existing customers.

So here’s a case study which explains how you can do both with relatively little cost using direct mail.

Now that tax filing season is over for most of us, I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a marketing consultant concerning a local tax office.

The challenge was to try to do something new which was relatively low-risk in terms of cost and which would boost the bottom line.

The costs of printing and postage date back to 2008, so the numbers will have changed a bit, but the principles are the same.

Tax offices tend to draw customers who live or work relatively close to the nearest tax office location. I’m assuming most of your business is from homeowners who live relatively close to your business. So this has some parallels.

Background The office was a new franchise of a large, nationally known tax preparation company. They had found that their corporate direct mail to prospects had a conversion rate of 1%. And the cost of acquiring a new customer was $43. The average customer

paid $129 for a simple return; more complex returns cost an average of $229.

Converting Prospects into Customers CostEffectively The consultant went to the local post office and found that there were 13,361 households within the same zip code as the tax office. The post office also offered a non-personalized mailing list at the cost of $8 per thousand. (Mailing to “Resident” was cheaper than having first and last names, and it also allowed for the message to be eligible for new arrivals to the neighborhood, avoided mailing to the deceased, etc.) At $8 per thousand, the one-time list rental cost came to $112 (13+ thousand x $8).

He also used a local printer which had a small graphic design department to produce a four color, two sided 5.5x8 inch postcard. The printing and mailing cost came to $2,400.

(The offer was a 10% discount on the tax preparation.)

sources that it typically costs 6 times more to make a sale to a new customer than to a current customer. So the trick was to make these new customers into repeat customers. Once the first year’s tax return was processed, the franchise now “owned” the names and could mail to these individuals whenever they desired without incurring a mailing list cost.

The solution was to make a timed mailing with a coupon offer for redemption of a $25 gift card or 20% Off their next tax return—whichever was higher.

The tax office found that if they did the same customer’s tax return for two years in a row, they became a repeat customer in the years following.

Doing something new and different can push you out of your comfort zone, but isn’t it worth a test to see if you can expand and increase your business cost-effectively?

The expectation was to convert 1% of the prospects which meant 133 new customers. The cost to acquire each new customer then came to a little less than $19 ($112 + $2,400 = $2,512 then divided by 133 converted prospects.) That turned out to be lower than their current acquisition tolerance of $20-$25 and far below the corporate conversion expense of $43 per customer.

Turning One-time Customers into Repeat Customers I’ve read in many different

July 2016

Dates and

Events July 2016

26 S W E E P I N G

July 4-10, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 6-8, 2016 CVC 3-Day Basic Chimney Sweep Training w/ CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Exams Sponsored by Owens Chimney Systems Monroe, NC For more information, please call jessica@ owenschimneysystems.com July 8, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Cabela’s – Columbus, OH – Sponsored by Lindemann Chimney Supply For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 11–17, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 12-13, 2016 CSIA 2-Day Masonry Class Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Chimney Association National Chimney Supply - Finksburg, MD For more information, please contact MACA, Jim@ BlackGoose.com July 12-13, 2016 CSIA Chimney Physics CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 15, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams

July 2016

CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 18, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Courtyard by Marriott – Milford, MA For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com July 18–24, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 20, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Cabela’s – Hamburg, PA For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com July 22, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Cabela’s – Columbus, OH For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com July 25–31, 2016 CSIA (online)- Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org July 27, 2016 CVC 1-Day Fireplace Retrofit Class Sponsored by Lindemann Chimney Service Lake Bluff, IL For more information, please call brittany@ lindemannchimne.com

August 2016 August 1-5, 2016 CSIA Installing and Troubleshooting Gas Appliances CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 1-7, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 8–14, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel

For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 16, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Banquet & Conference Center of DeWitt – DeWitt, MI For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com August 15–21, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 15-20, 2016 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

27 S W E E P I N G July 2016

New

Members

NEW HAMPSHIRE

PENNSYLVANIA

FLORIDA

MICHIGAN

ARKANSAS

Angela Borzell | Certified Chimney Inspections | Nashua

Anthony Hill | A & A Chimney Sweep and Repairs, Inc. | Philadelphia

Jack Roland | E Z Chimney Cleaning Tallahassee

Mike Hubbell | Statewide Chimney Service | Waterford

Garrett Witcher | Godfrey and Black ‘Fireplaces and More’ | Ft. Smith

NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

MINNESOTA

Scott Zatley | Got Lint | Binghamton

Sergio Yushkevich | A Plus Horizon LLC Lawnside

Michael Norvil | Able Chimney Sweeps LLC | Saint Paul

REGION

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4 45 5 56 6 6

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1 12 2 234 34 35 5

August 18, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Cabela’s – Hoffman Estate, IL For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com August 19, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Richmond Airport Hotel, Richmond, VA For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 22–28, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 23-25, 2016 CVC 3-Day Gas Service Class Sponsored by Fireside Distributors Raleigh, NC For more information, please call stephaniem@ firesideamerica.com August 29 – September 4, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

September 2016 September 5-11, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

September 12–18, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 12-14, 2016 CSIA Masonry Repair for Chimney Professional Saver Systems Facility - Richmond, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 12-16, 2016 CVC 5-Day Successful Retrofit Fireplaces Sales & Installation Class Sponsored by Anderson’s Chimney Anderson’s Chimney – New Cumberland, PA For more information, please call Jillian (717) 975-3526 or email jill@andersonchimney.com September 16, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel – Atlantic City, NJ For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 19–25, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 19-24, 2016 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 26– October 2, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

July 2016

29 S W E E P I N G

CSIA UPDATE July 2016 Report

www.CSIA.org

Another Successful Sweeps Week is in the Books Check out the Sweeps Week Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ CSIASweepsWeek for additional images and stories!!

Congratuations to the following individuals who were recently awarded CSIA’s highest credential, the CSIA Master Chimney Sweep: Jeremy Biswell - Kansas City, KS Jim Bostaph - Newport News, VA Terry Dearborn - Yorkville, IL Ashley Eldridge - Indianapolis, IN Michael Elliot - North Oxford, MA Bob Fish - Londonderry, VT Ken Hoelscher - Brookville, OH David Newton - Chesterfield, VA Bob Preising - Havelock, NC Chuck Roydhouse - Millersville, MD Richard Rua - Portsmouth, RI

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July 2016 Report

Newly Certified Chimney Sweeps Alabama Samantha Sweeney| Top Hat Chimney Sweeps| Opelika Arkansas Justin Sizemore| Top Hat Chimney & Roofing| Springdale

Elliot Cleberg| Barnhill Chimney Co.| Lexington

Jared Bender | Saratoga Chimney Sweeps | Wilton

Maryland

Chris Gonzolez | Northeaster Masonry & Chimney | Selkirk

Benjamin Zonis | Handyman On Call | Reisterstown Adam Harnish | Magic Bloom Chimney Sweeps | Waldorf

California

Massachusetts

Jacob Vice| Cal Custom Chimney Sweeps | Temecula

Timothy Martinson, Jr. | Sweepnman | North Reading

Colorado

Timothy Scott | Master Chimney Sweepers | Natick

Christopher Guffey| Mountain Man Fireplace & Chimney | Evergreen

Brent Gaines | Master Chimney Sweepers | Natick

Florida Logan Morrell | Jay Walker Enterprises | Tallahassee Roger Crawford| Jay Walker Enterprises | Tallahassee Illinois Nick Naumann | Lindemann Chimney | Lake Bluff Brandon Kaplan | Lindemann Chimney | Lake Bluff Brett Lasik| Lindemann Chimney | Lake Bluff Ryan Gentile | Aelite Chimney Specialties | Lakemoor Edwin Smith| Lindemann Chimney | Lake Bluff Michael Pinkston| A-1 Safety Chimney Services| Carol Stream Indiana Adam Bzdyl | Judd & Son Chimney Service | Schererville Kentucky

Matthew Gonzolez | Northeaster Masonry & Chimney | Selkirk Christopher Rayner | Northeaster Masonry & Chimney | Selkirk North Carolina Rory Foley | Clean Sweep the Fireplace Shop | Waynesville Ande Grantham | Clean Sweep the Fireplace Shop | Waynesville Pennsylvania

Minnesota Debra Catura | Jack Pixley Sweeps | Spring Lake Park Montana Thomas Rendle | Pro Vac Chimney Sweeps | Bozeman New Hampshire Michelle Perez | Black Moose Chimney and Stove | Antrim Drew Bryenton | Black Moose Chimney and Stove | Antrim Anthony Jancetic | Lakes Regions Chimney Pro | Gilford Justin Fehl | Caeser Chimney Service | Manchester Joshua Duquette | Black Moose Chimney and Stove | Antrim New York

Elmer Petersheim | DS Machine | Gordonville Joe Capparell | Lehigh Valley Chimney Specialists | E. Stroudsburg Rhode Island Nicholas Perlini | Mr. Chimney | Johnston South Carolina Brandon Headen | Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep | Prosperity Wisconsin Jeffrey Kalz | The Chimney Guy | Menasha Amy Nieuwenhuis | The Chimney Guy | Menasha Jack Hodges | Chimney Mechanix | Shawano

Travis Knott | Northeaster Masonry & Chimney| Selkirk

Newly Certified C-DET Texas

Cleaning| Mcknney

Timothy Garcia | Hale’s Chimney

Martin Ledesma | Hale’s Chimney

Cleaning | Mckinney

Interested in becoming a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep or Dryer Exhaust Technician? Give us a call at (317) 837-5362!

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July 2016 Report

Get to Know Your CSIA Board: Chuck Hall - Vice President

Hometown: I was born in DC but spent time in Chicago as well as Kansas City growing up.

Currently Resides: Annandale, VA How Chuck got his start: I was selling advertising for a radio station in the DC market for 2 years after college and a friend of mine was a partner in Winston’s. He helped me buy the Northern VA territory and I ended up with all of DC in 2009.

Why CSIA Certification is Important: First, I want myself and my technicians to hold the best credential in the industry; this is a source of pride for them. I believe the training offered by CSIA sets a standard for what a sweep should know. My techs get complimented daily by from our clients that they are the “best educated” chimney person they have ever met. The referral system offered by CSIA is another benefit to my company.

When a client is searching for a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep in their zip code, this is a qualified lead. The return on the credential’s investment far outweighs its cost.

About Winston’s: We are currently running 8 trucks and our projected gross revenue for 2016 is $3.2 Million.

Where will Chuck be in 15 years: Still working, but at a reduced pace. I would like to teach some of what I have learned to others and take my wife on trips around the world. I might even take up golf.

Best Piece of Advice Chuck has received: From my friend and

mentor, Marty Fuller: “Stop Sweeping Chimneys and putting in liners and start scanning flues and estimating bigger jobs.” I started in this business as an entrepreneur but fell in love with the work. The key is to play by one’s strengths but recognize the weaknesses.

CSIA Education Roadshow

Excellence in Education. Delivered.

To-your-door expertise.

CSIA Education Roadshow is an exciting new opportunity to experience the industry standard in chimney sweep education and earn valuable CEUs and web icons, through in-person courses provided by one of CSIA’s expert instructors at YOUR event.

If you offer it, they will come.

Hosting an event which includes CSIA Roadshow courses is an excellent way

to build relationships within the industry and gain credibility with potential members, it will literally help you get the right people in your front door.

Leverage the CSIA’s network and grow your business.

Including CSIA Roadshow as part of your event will provide you with several opportunities for promoting your company or product, both on-site during the session, as well as through CSIA’s

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social networks and e-newsletter.

Get started.

Literally anyone who wants to include a CSIA Roadshow session and has access to a suitable location can submit a request.

For a complete list of the available CSIA Roadshow courses or to bring CSIA education to your event, please contact CSIA Program Coordinator, Claire Rutledge, at (317) 837-5362.

www.CSIA.org

In-Person Chimney Physics Registration August 1 - 5, 2016 | CSIA Tech Center | 16 CEUs This week-long course will cover a host of gas hearth system service and installation topics, including gas hearth appliance standards, combustion air requirements, gas pipe sizing and installation, troubleshooting gas appliances, carbon monoxide testing protocol and fuel conversion procedures. Students will also have the opportunity to become certified installers for several brands of Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing.

Students will work with live appliances in the CSIA Technology Center lab. You will learn how to troubleshoot gas hearth appliances while in operation. Instructors will help you determine the proper venting system for each appliance, as well as how each appliance should be serviced. Students will also get an objective overview of a variety of gas hearth appliances. By the end of this course, students will be able to work proficiently with many different types of gas hearth appliances.

CSIA CEUs: 4-T, 4-CS, 4-HS, 4-CL NFI CEUs: 16-T

CSIA ON-SITE EDUCATION National Chimney Sweep Training School August 15-20 | Plainfield, IN [CSIA Technology Center]

Contact Us:

Our flagship event where you’ ll spend a week learning the fundamentals of sweeping and inspection of chimney systems, equipment operation, health & safety considerations, and have step-by-step instruction in codes, clearances, standards, and practices.

CSIA CEUs: 16 [4-T, 4-CS, 4-HS, 4-CL] NFI CEUs: 16-T

Mailing Address

Certified Chimney Sweep Review & Exam

2155 Commercial Drive

July 15 | Plainfield, IN (CSIA Technology Center)

Plainfield, IN 46168

In-person intensive review sessions help candidates prepare for the exams. The review sessions are not a substitute for advanced study. CSIA CEUs: 1.50-T, 1.50-CS, 1.50-HS, 1.50-CL NFI CEUS: 6-T

Telephone (317) 837-5362 Email: Office@CSIA.org Twitter: @Chimney_Safety Facebook: /ChimneySafety

August 19 | Richmond, VA

Installing & Troubleshootg Gas Hearth Appliances August 1-5| Plainfield, IN [CSIA Technology Center] CSIA CEUs: 4-T, 4-CS, 4-HS, 4-CL NFI CEUs: 16-T

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Around the

Tech

Center Frances Kelly

Executive Director

34 S W E E P I N G July 2016

There’ll be more Sweeps Weeks coverage in the August issue of Sweeping but suffice it to say the staff and I had a wonderful time! Among the many activities going on throughout the building and grounds were office painting, garden tending, and even a visit from Debbie’s dog Zola.

The garden got some much needed improvement courtesy of the John Pilger who worked hard to make sure the plants were well taken care of and the garden critter proofed.

I hope your summer is as wonderful as ours is!

Classifieds Where Has Your Sweeping Been Aloha!

N.C.S.G. member (C.S.I.A. #1531) Ray Johnston from Pennsylvania married Sue McDowell on May 15th.

They spent 10 nights in Wailea on the island of Maui for their honeymoon. While there, Ray found time to read the latest issue of “Sweeping�.

HELP WANTED - Established family owned company seeking experienced professional chimney sweeps interested in servicing homeowners in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Malibu. Rub elbows with stars of the entertainment industries, experience the California lifestyle. Chimney Sweep & Fire Protection Co. chimdoc@socal.rr.com or (818) 348-1993 GasVent Software for Sizing Chimneys only $195 Call 1-800-648-9523 for more info and visit www. elitesoft.com to download a free trial version.

Established 25-year chimney sweep business for sale in Raleigh/Triangle area of North Carolina.

Prefer CSIA Certification.

Contact fssweep@earthlink.net CLASSIFIED ADS FREE FOR NCSG MEMBERS Members can run one 35-word classified free each year! Regular classified ads are $2/word or $1/ word for NCSG members. Classified ads are noncommissionable and must be pre-paid. To place a classified ad, please contact Sara Sichting at ssichting@ncsg.org or 317-837-1500.

35 S W E E P I N G July 2016

Darwin

Award

This is at a house in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. The homeowners just finished remodeling with all the woodwork; little “Clearance to Combustible” issue?

- Steven Cody (CSIA Certification #8150) The Chimney Pro’s, Woodbury, Minn Have you snapped a photo of a peculiar chimney in your area that made you shake your head in disbelief?

Send it to editor Darcy Marlett at dmarlett@ ncsg.org. for publication in Sweeping. Or, mail it to NCSG, 2155 Commercial Drive, Plainfield, IN 46168. Include a few words about the scene and location.

Ad Index CVC Coaching

704-425-0217

www.cvccoaching.com 27

Gelco™, Lyemance™, and Lock-Top®

www.gllchimneyproducts.com

Firesafe Industries, Inc.

www.firesafeinc.com 5

800-545-6607

22

ICP 508-695-7000 www.chimneycaps.com 10 Lindemann Chimney Company

866-629-8006

www.lindemannsupply.com 13

National Chimney

800-897-8481

www.nationalchimney.com 9

New England Chimney Supply

888-900-8106

www.newenglandchimneysupply.com 15

Olympia Chimney Supply

800-569-1425

www.olympiachimney.com 7

Sand Hill Wholesale & Mfg., Inc

800-258-5496

www.sandhillwholesale.com 4

SaverSystems, Inc

800-860-6327

www.saversystems.com 17

Weathertite 800-711-9672 www.weathertiteinc.com 11

36 S W E E P I N G July 2016

YOUR NAME:

Moving firewood can spread tree-killing insects and diseases.

National Chimney Sweep Guild 2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168

1408

www.ncsgconvention.org