Sweeping Magazine- April 2016 by National Chimney Sweep Guild

Sweeping April 2016 VOLUME 40 #3

The Journal of Chimney and Venting Technology

n o i t n 2016nve Recap o C Closing Thoughts About the Convention Swedes Sweep New York

Are You Chicken Little Or the Little Engine That Could

Why Crown Coatings Fail

, PROTECT TREES FORESTS AND OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE THREAT OF INVASIVE SPECIES

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Departments President’s Letter 3 Editor’s Letter 5 Coach’s Corner 10 Sweeps Advantage 16 Progressive Perks 17 Technical Q&A 18 Date and Events 33 New Members 34 Classifieds 35 Darwin Award 40

Table of Contents Sweeping April 2016 Volume 40 Issue 3

Features Are You Chicken Little Or The Little Engine That Could?

Closing Thoughts On The 2016 NCSG Convention

Swedes Sweep New York

Cover Photo: For the April issue of Sweeping we did something special with the cover photo and put it up on the auction block at the 2016 CSIA Annual Auction. The winner was Jim Pritchett of Certified Sweeps of Brookston, Ind. Thank you Jim for your donation to CSIA and its programs! Featured in the picture is Jim’s employee Ron Moser along with auction volunteers Lauren Pilger and Erin Dawson.

Convention Recap

Why Crown Coatings Fail

6 14 19 24 30

April 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 2015-2016

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

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

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

April 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 2015 – 2016

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

Convention tried to kill me…again! But I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Anyone close to me knows of my interesting experiences with attending convention. The first convention I attended was in Colorado. It was my first real year I had attended convention. My business was new and funds were not abundant, but I knew the investment in the trip would pay off many times over (and it has). To save money, Bart Ogden set me up with some roommates. Two crazy guys from Ireland, you may remember them as the 2 Davids from Ireland. A day or two into the convention, I woke up in the middle of the night and spent a restless night praying to the porcelain God (you know what I mean). I determined that I had gotten food poisoning from Dave and Busters that night. During the Hershey, Pennsylvania convention, we got stuck in Detroit for a couple days due to a horrible snow storm plaguing the area. At the Indianapolis convention, I ended up in the hospital with a rare skin infection. Where was that rare skin infection you ask? Of all places....in my belly button! Deep, deep in there. About 9 pm in the evening, went to the hospital and got checked in because they were worried about the skin infection moving to my bloodstream. Had a consult with a surgeon the next morning. That afternoon I was in surgery (throat tube and all!!!!), then with a belly packed full of gauze, back to my hospital bed. I knew I had to get up and moving if I wanted to get back to convention. From my nursing background, I knew that if a

patient is up and moving after surgery, they would rush to get you out of the hospital because they need the space and you are more likely to get an infection in a hospital than at home. So, several hours after surgery and after the morphine had wore off, I was walking the hallways of the surgical rehab unit. The next morning the surgeon visited me, yanked the gauze out of my reconstructed belly button (one of the most painful experiences I have EVER experienced) and discharged me. I was checked in, had surgery, and back to convention in approx. 34 hours. No one really believed me except for Marge and Gene Padgitt who actually came and visited me in the hospital.

President’s

Letter Jeremy Biswell

President

This year, I found myself exhausted Thursday before convention. I got home from work and went straight to bed. I managed to go to work Friday and made it through the day to only come home that evening and straight back to bed. Saturday I spent the entire day in bed. My kids packed me for the convention trip. I have a 3-day rule when I get sick (which typically I only get sick once or twice a year). Of course Sunday morning Brandi and I had to jump a plane for Orlando. We arrived in Orlando and I was like a zombie. It took everything I had to walk through the airport, collect our bags, and search (yes search) for our rental car. We arrived at the Rosen hotel and after a chair nap in the lobby, our room was ready. I crawled into bed (3 pm in the afternoon) and stayed there until the next morning.

3 S W E E P I N G

The next morning we found a

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healthcare clinic at a Walgreens. They did a flu test and it came back negative. They determined that I likely had the flu (yes I had gotten a flu shot this year as I do every year) and I was on the tail end of it. Since there isn’t much you can do for a virus, they gave me a pill to help with my cough and strong Tylenol to help me rest and my fever. The next day, I was not getting better. I was still feeling miserable and hadn’t eaten anything for days. I was going through a bottle of Gatorade and a bottle of water every hour and still felt dehydrated. The morning of the membership meeting and kickoff of convention, I could not get out of bed. I had to text staff and Guild Vice President Jasper Drengler to take over for me. I wasn’t going to be able to make it to our rental car to go see another doctor, so we had a doctor visit me in the hotel room. After several tests and another flu test (negative again) she determined that I had a very severe case of bronchitis and if left treated any longer would have become pneumonia and I would be admitted into the hospital! The doctor gave me a breathing treatment and ordered 2 IV bags to my room. Yup, you can get IV’s via room service!

April 2016

Brandi ran to fill my prescriptions. Keep in mind, bronchitis is a bacterial infection that is treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated, can lead to serious hospitalization. The healthcare clinic had misdiagnosed me. Not good. Not good at all. Brandi returned as the IV nurse had showed up. The IV nurse stuck me in

2 different places looking for a vein. I was so dehydrated that my veins were not showing up. Luckily, Brandi has a gift for finding veins and successfully hooking up IV’s. The IV nurse let Brandi give it a try and she got it first try! I did notice a smile on her face as she was sticking me with the needle and she did admit she always enjoyed finding veins and administering IV’s in the hospital. Thank God for my wife. With a very heavy dose of antibiotics and some fresh fluids running into my veins, I was starting to feel better than I had for 6 days! The very next day I was back in action. What an experience. I was excited to finally see and talk with my beloved colleagues and convention attendees. All of life is an experience. Even when bad things happen, they can be solved. I had a great time at convention. I am blessed to be your president of the NCSG. The classes were well attended and the trade show was fantastic. I had the honor of presenting the Friendship award to Bonnie Bowser and the President’s Award to Jay Walker, two very deserving people on our industry. I am very excited for next year’s convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The National Chimney Sweep Guild will be celebrating 40 years! This year’s convention gave me another good story to tell. I cherish every moment this wonderful industry provides me! Jeremy Biswell, NCSG President

appy Spring Sweeps!

Here at the Tech Center we are putting away convention stuff and gearing up to for summer education classes. This issue is our annual wrap up for of our annual convention and it is packed! First of all I would like to thank our volunteer convention reporter Justin Bailey of Bailey’s Chimney Cleaning and Repair in Taos, NM. For the past two conventions Justin has volunteered to write all the articles in the convention recap section. You will also find throughout the issue many of our regular contributors wrote about their convention experiences as well. In addition to all the convention content this issue also features

a great article on why crown coatings fail written by Stuart Karanovich from SaverSystems. Sweeping Magazine would also like to extend a huge congratulations to monthly contributor Mike Segerstrom on his CSIA Don Leavitt Education Award win at this year’s convention for his contributions to industry education. Along with answering your questions in his monthly Tech Q and A column Mike also is the chair of the NCSG Technical Advisory Council, a member of the CSIA Board of Directors, and a CSIA instructor. We hope you enjoy this convention recap issue and make plans to join us in Louisville in 2017!

Editor’s

Letter Darcy Marlett Editor

P.S. Looking for more convention photos? Head to the National Chimney Sweep Guild Facebook page for 100 photos taken by our volunteer photographer Blume!

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5 S W E E P I N G

Are You Chicken Little Or The Little Engine That Could?

Taylor Hill

Spark Marketer ave you ever spent time around someone who seems to live under a dark cloud? You know who I’m talking about — everything bad is always happening to them and they never have anything good to say. What about someone who seems to have sunshine and rainbows everywhere they go, with the Pope’s blessing on everything they do? Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the two? Why does one person have all the luck while another gets kicked around? I’m here to tell you that it’s largely attitude.

H 6 S W E E P I N G

Attitude is one of the most powerful and influential things, no matter what you’re doing, but it can be especially powerful when it comes to how you approach marketing for your business. Are you going into every email campaign, every social interaction, every strategy with the mindset that it’s all just a waste of time and money and nothing good will ever come from

April 2016

it? Or, are you investing time and resources into things that have potential to get you closer to your goals, even if it takes some time? If you belong to the former camp, you can expect to get exactly what you’re putting out: nothing but disappointment. If you belong to the latter, that won’t be the case. In the latter camp, even if a certain marketing strategy doesn’t yield great results, you’ll have an open mindset and the determination to take a step back, look at what worked and what didn’t, and adjust your path accordingly — all while keeping your eyes on the prize. Someone in the former camp will give it a quick try and give up. The fear of failing again or being disappointed again will cast a negative light on every other possible marketing strategy and leave you fearful and cynical, thinking, “Why bother?” But what are you really distancing yourself from when you react this way? Is it success or failure?

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Is The Sky Really Falling Or Have You Just Decided So? Remember Chicken Little? One little acorn fell and she thought it was the end of the world. She was so consumed by her imagined fear and by her fatalistic “the sky is falling!” mentality that she couldn’t make any sort of rational or well thought out decisions. The only outcome in her mind was total disaster, so she ran around like a chicken with her head cut off, and followed the fox right to her literal death. When it comes to marketing decisions and strategies, we see this all the time. Yes, stepping out and taking risks for your business can be scary, especially if you’ve been let down before — but is your

fear real or imagined? Just because one thing didn’t work, doesn’t mean nothing will.

“I think I can,” he repeated as he made efforts to reach his goal. And you know what? He did.

You have to keep at it and figure out what works for you, your business, and your clients. No two businesses are alike and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. But how will you know what will work if you stop trying after one disappointment?

When it comes to investing in marketing and trying new things, so many business owners either don’t want to put in the work because it seems like too daunting of a task, or they just don’t believe anything will work for them. But you won’t know if you don’t try. Although the statistics vary, a large percentage of small businesses fail within the first five years. Extenuating circumstances aside, I’d be willing to bet that the biggest difference between those that fail and those that survive is attitude.

Do You Think You Can? Now take The Little Engine That Could. He was faced with the same obstacles that every other engine was facing, and he had no advantages over the others except that his mentality was different. Every other engine that was asked to pull the heavy load simply refused because it was too heavy. The Little Engine, on the other hand, had a different attitude. Call For Your FREE Catalog TODAY!

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April 2016

Mindset matters in everything, including marketing! But I’m just Taylor Hill. Here’s Thomas Jefferson:

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” 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 Greg Polokow

Tech Check – The Value of the Ride Along

hen you consider the vast array of possible classroom settings, I’m guessing the inside of a work service truck might come up on the bottom of most people’s list. Whereas what we’ve discovered while working with chimney technicians in the field suggests just the opposite. Giving instruction, coaching, suggestions, and ideas while driving around with a tech in the field turns out to be far more effective than offering the same training in a classroom. It also builds a rapport that further supports the teaching experience. Why? It’s simple, because when you instruct in the field following contact with real homeowners in their places of residence, the information becomes far more relevant and immediate. Think about it. You’ve just finished a home visit. It’s fresh in your mind. Any suggestions or observations you make while driving to the next appointment are going to be far more meaningful because they relate to a very real and very recent situation. There’s nothing hypothetical here. We are talking about, reviewing, and discussing something that just happened.

10 S W E E P I N G

That’s why when you are one on one with a technician driving from one appointment to another, the exchange of ideas, answers to questions, flow of information, etc. becomes far more interesting and lively. Which is to say, both the chimney technician and the instructor are way more engaged in the process. It’s

April 2016

the difference between a good reality TV show and almost any other dramatized version of life. All of that adds up to a very important educational outcome: the material is much more likely to be heard, accepted, digested, and retained. And that means, it is also more likely to be applied once the training is over. Because, no matter how profound the knowledge passed on in training, if it never gets applied in the field, it’s simply useless. The other very cool benefit of teaching, observing, and training this way is obvious. It does not require any interruption to the flow of business. There’s simply no need to pull your technicians out of the field for a day when the ideal setting for this kind of training is IN the field, and ON the job. It is, in fact, as valuable as any on the job training you can imagine. Because, at the end of the day, the instructor has not only conveyed the information in the most relevant and immediate setting possible, the workplace. He is also very well prepared to give the kind of objective evaluation of the technician’s level of skill and areas where more training may be needed that can only be discovered by observing the technician in the actual work setting. Because, let’s face it, observing key areas of performance in the field is where it matters most. These areas include: customer communication; customer service; work efficiency; core values; ability to troubleshoot; technical competence; clarity of explanations;

sales strengths/weaknesses; closing ability, and attitude. In other words, all the areas of competence every sweep business needs in the team that represents them in the field. The reality is, most sweep business owners just don’t have the time for this all important task. In fact, given all the other things needed keep their business running smoothly and profitably, taking time to do this is probably not even advisable. And even if they did have time, it seems unlikely the owner of a business will be as objective and thorough as someone outside the business. One must be able to do this free of emotion, free of prejudgement, and preconceived opinions of any kind. Otherwise, it can quickly break down into a fault finding session where

nothing is accomplished except creating bad feelings. That would be totally counterproductive. People learn best in environments that are nonthreatening. That’s equally true of adults as it is of children. Scolding does not lead to learning because the person on the receiving end of the scolding shuts down. I wish more teachers understood this. The beauty of the ride along allows for real time teaching, coaching, and objective evaluation of a home service business’ most important assets, the technicians that represent them every single day in the homes of their customers. And, while this may be a task difficult for you to find time for, it doesn’t in any way diminish the value of doing it.

It’s also important to remember, that like all efforts to pass on new information and new behaviors, it requires repetition. Very few people learn anything in a way they can utilize on the first pass. It has to be repeated, followed up on, reviewed, and reinforced. If that were not the case, we could probably shorten the school year dramatically. Clearly, this approach to teaching would be inappropriate for the initial phase of instruction for highly technical tasks. Learning the basics of gas servicing, for instance, is much better suited to a classroom. But for the kinds of skills listed above, as someone who has taught in a variety of settings, I have enormous confidence in the ride along approach. But that’s not just my opinion. Service industry experts like Ellen Rohr also strongly recommend this teaching approach. The fact is, this training approach is used in many other home service industries very simply because it works. Like so many things in business and life, the proof is in the pudding. You simply have to try it to see its value. Give it a shot. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how ideal this approach can be.

April 2016

Greg is an industry educator and coach. He served for many years as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Copperfield Chimney Supply. Greg is a member of the CVC Coaching Team. For more information about Greg and how the CVC team can assist you individually and your business in your quest for success and your ascent to the next level, take a look at www. cvccoaching.com Greg can be contacted at greg@cvccoaching.com. Follow Greg on Twitter at Greg-cvccoach@Ttrader108

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A Wrap!! Closing Thoughts On The 2016 NCSG Convention

Eugene M. LaFlamme

14 S W E E P I N G

nother NCSG Convention has come and gone and I had the honor to co-present twice in Orlando with Chris Van Leeuwen from Veracity Insurance. For those of you that attended one of our seminars, you may think we painted a pretty bleak picture of the sweep industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance and litigation risks. While certainly the industry has its risks, the main point of our presentation, and one I hope one that we conveyed, was to drive home that there are a number of activities sweeps can take to limit the inherent industry risks. Unfortunately one cannot ever eliminate risk. This is true for all industries and businesses, the chimney and hearth industry certainly included. In fact, this is even true in your personal life. For example, think about the risk you accept every time you drive your vehicle. The risk can range from someone else harming you by causing

April 2016

property damage, injury or death or, inversely, you causing the same outcomes by your driving. While most people manage that risk by purchasing auto insurance, such insurance never fully eliminates the risk of operating a vehicle. One can also limit the inherent risks of driving through their own activities, such as obeying traffic laws, paying full attention to the road, and utilizing the vehicle safety devices (i.e. seat belts, air bags, etc.). The same situation is true in business and there are inherent risks within each industry. For the chimney and hearth industry, the most glaring risk is that oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work or service could cause or contribute to a fire. If a fire occurs, it certainly will cause property damage and, in some unfortunate situations, can also cause injury or death. These are factors sweeps should keep in mind when deciding what type of insurance coverage to purchase and with what limits. In that regard, much like purchasing auto insurance, it is important that sweeps obtain the proper liability insurance coverage with appropriate policy limits. To do that, sweeps

should work closely with their insurance agent or broker and make sure the agent/ broker fully understands the size, nature and activities of the business. It is also worth considering purchasing an excess policy which, comparatively speaking, is not too expensive for the additional coverage it provides. We also discussed during our presentation that risk can be further managed through various in-house programs such as education, training, and thorough documentation. While the CSIA and NFI certifications certainly have value from a marketing perspective, and they should be utilized as such, these certifications also help sweeps manage risk through the continuing education requirements. Education and training should be ongoing endeavors that sweeps continually engage in throughout the year. Sweeps that actively engage in education and training generally make less mistakes than sweeps that shirk these activities. The less mistakes that are made, the lower the chance a claim will be made against one’s company. Thorough documentation also should not be limited to just written documents. While it is vitally important to maintain thorough and complete written records, it is also important to incorporate site and work photographs into a sweep’s documentation program. These days most people walk around with a high quality digital camera on their smart phone. Consequently, taking photographs before, during and after a sweep’s work is not as difficult or time consuming as it used to be. I always recommend taking a picture before starting your work, take some photographs during the work and then take final photographs when the job is completed. Those photographs could become invaluable if someone subsequently attempts to make a claim against you. Eugene M. LaFlamme is a partner at McCoy Leavitt Laskey LLC, a national defense firm specializing in fire and explosion cases. Eugene’s practice focuses on the defense of companies involved in the hearth and chimney industries. He can be contacted at elaflamme@MLLlaw.com or (262) 522-7000.

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ach year during my tenure I have had the opportunity to recruit volunteers for various jobs at the NCSG Convention and Trade show. I use the word opportunity because it not only gives me a chance to meet new attendees but I also have some time to visit with those I have worked with in the past. Each year organizing and assigning volunteer support has gotten easier and easier as I think many have found that this can be a lot of fun and gives them a chance to see many of their old friends and meet new ones when working at convention registration and scanning. We are also fortunate to have those that assume the same role each year, again as a volunteer. Special thanks to Joe Sauter and John Click for driving the truck with all the necessary equipment to setup our off site office and for so many other

Progressive

jobs they did throughout the week. To the official convention photographer, Blume who pops up when you least expect it and usually with a smile on his face. Renee (Ron too) Brigman for Debbie Cornelius efforts in raising money for Membership Development â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sweeps Weekâ&#x20AC;? by organizing Coordinator the Silent Auction. And finally, Judd Berg for his organization of the donations, roadies and runners and working closely with Randy Atkinson to raise the $$ at the CSIA Auction. Yes it takes a village of wonderful and willing volunteers to help the NCSG staff and Board of Directors (volunteers themselves) in making sure it all gets done. Thank you for making one of my convention responsibilities so easy and enjoyable!

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Yes, the NCSG Convention Takes a Village Too!

17 S W E E P I N G April 2016

Technical

Q&A

Micheal Segerstrom

NCSG Technical Advisory Chair

Around convention, we usually take a break from the normal technical questions & answers. It gives us a chance to look at and talk about things that are important, but not necessarily technical.

18 S W E E P I N G

t’s a really special time when chimney sweeps from across the country and around the world get together in the same location. This year was no exception with record-setting attendance, 28 international guests and over 100 first time attendees. When I see sweeps gathered together, I think about many of the great things that happen in our industry. I get insights on the different markets across the country and feedback from the smallest of companies to the largest. One common theme is that many companies in the same market often work together, and call themselves friends. The Guild taught me this when I joined over 11 years ago. That when you operate and work to a higher standard, there is no competition. Only friends, and then everybody else. Taking this attitude improves things all around. It’s great to be able to share ideas and experiences with other companies in our market. This makes each company better, and gives them the edge over the companies that isolate themselves. Having friendships with other local companies, also gives us resources if we need to borrow a part, if we need a helping hand, or have a tough job we need advice to get through. Working together and being friends with other companies, also gives the homeowner better options. If companies are working together to constantly improve, adopt new technology and methods, and operate at a higher standard,

April 2016

homeowners in that market have a greater chance of getting top notch service. Companies that isolate themselves, and treat everyone else as competition, could be hurting themselves in the long run. In addition to missing out on friendships and the benefit of local resources, these companies might miss out on current changes in the codes and standards, innovative new products and tools, or methods and tips that help us to perform a better service more efficiently. Whether or not it was your first time at convention this year, if you met someone that’s in your market, think about staying in touch. We are in a very unique trade, a very unique industry. There’s no reason we should feel alone in it. Whether we are an employee, a manager or an owner, networking with other chimney sweeps in our area is just a win-win. On a personal note, I have made many friends in this industry across the country. One of my best friends owns and operates a chimney service company that could literally be working next door to me on any given day. He’s not my competition, he’s not the enemy. He is my friend. Together we have raised the bar locally, improved each other’s bottom lines, and enriched each other’s lives. So if you are coming back from convention thinking about the guy or the people you met from a company in your neighborhood, reach out to them. You never know what great things can happen when doors are open.

Swedes Sweep New York

John Pilger

NCSG and CSIA International Relations Committee

o, I’m sitting in front of my computer reading the post on the NCSG and CSIA Facebook pages and I get an instant message. “Hello mister! We ara 8 chimney sweeper from sweden, we are going to New York 20-24 of january. We wouuld like to visit you than, if it is ok with you. Maybe we could ser your work and Perhaps a dinner with us later..... Hope to hear from you, kind regards Håkan Melin head chief of 2 district of sweeping in Sweden.” I clearly understood, his English, which is much better than my Swedish. I turned to Diane and said with a smile we are going to have company in January. The Swedes were coming to New York City for five days and wanted to spend a day watching American Chimney Sweepers work. Because of European Union rules, they will eventually be going to free market. Now Sweden has different districts in which they work in, each district had a Master who is the boss or as they say “The Chief”.

Chimney Sweep festival. His face looked familiar to me, but I’m bad with remembering names. I’ve met thousands of sweeps over the last 10 years attending the festival. Håkan is also the Chief in charge of technical advice (Director of Education) and an Instructor in the Swedish Chimney Sweep School. Through more correspondence he let me know that there are going to be nine sweeps. I gave him directions to the LIRR from NY City to the last stop on the line, Ronkonkoma. I knew I couldn’t fit nine people in my two work vehicles, so I enlisted my competitor, friend and fellow CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep, Steven Chiappetta to drive my van, while Diane drove her car, which holds five, and I drove my pick-up which holds five. I knew I just couldn’t show up at a customer’s house with twelve sweeps, so I had to let them know in advance and ask permission. We collected the Swedes at the train station and they said the hour twenty minute ride from NY City was good.

They were staying in the Times Square area, and an easy walk to Penn Station to the Long Island Rail Road. I met Håkan about five or six years ago at Spazzacamini, the International

Our first stop of the day was an open Tech Spec III fireplace which had a sudden occurrence IE: Chimney Fire. We were lucky the room was large and could accommodate all of us. We use

April 2016

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extra floor protection and had everyone put booties on. This put the homeowner at ease. Diane explained that we were going to rotary power sweep the chimney so we could video scan it as part of our NFPA 211 Lever II inspection. In Sweden sweeping is generally done from the roof top using a weighted ball and brush on a rope and lower down the flue. They were intrigued with the way we took our time and the extra effort we took to sweep the chimney. It was time to video scan the chimney. A few weeks back I had ordered a new lighthouse combo camera from Estoban Corp and it arrived late afternoon the day before the sweeps arrived. I stated to Diane “I hope there’s no learning curve”. The last thing I wanted was to look foolish fumbling around with a new camera. I then explained the three levels of inspections in NFPA 211 and what triggers each level. We called the homeowner in to watch the video scan. Using the Lighthouse combo camera and button lock rods we were able to show the homeowners and our fellow chimney sweeps the deficiencies in the smoke chamber, the missing mortar joints between the flue tiles and the fractures in the tiles from the chimney fire. The Swedes were very impressed on how we interacted with the homeowner, and our explaining to him the interior flue damage in plain English. I let the homeowner know that we would write up a narrative report with photos of the damage for their insurance company. Next I ascended to the chimney top to inspect the chimney for exterior damage. Diane then did

the customer review with the homeowners as I left our little plastic chimney sweep on the mantle. Off to the next job. In Sweden, chimney sweeps mostly sweep chimneys and perform little or no repairs

(government rules). Our next job was to install a very large chimney cap. This chimney cap was approximally 3’ x 5’ outside mount stainless steel hip cap. They were very impressed with the quality of

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measurements I sent them. It was a relief when Steven and I installed the cap and it fit like a glove. The Swedes gave us a huge ovation.

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Our final job of the day was an inspection of a factory built fireplace. Another sweep scared the elderly lady stating your whole house is going to burn down if a spark hits the chase top which had been repaired with some tar years ago. They also installed a new 5â&#x20AC;? solid packed chimney cap on an 8â&#x20AC;? air cooled Superior chimney. We advised the homeowner to call back the installing company to fix the problem. We even wrote down the information off the fireplace data plate so they could order the proper cap. I explained to the sweeps that in America anyone can go to the hardware store, buy a brush and vacuum and call themselves a Chimney Sweep. They were amazed; in Sweden you must have education before you can just go out and sweep chimneys.

April 2016

When we were finished with our days’ work we came back to my home for some adult refreshments (none for Diane and myself, we were driving) until it was time for a late lunch/ early dinner. One thing that I made them do, as I always do with any guest visiting our home is sign my guest book. The book is getting very full with sweeps from 25 different States and 11 different countries, Diane and I feel very blessed to have such a large chimney sweep family. I chose Famous Dave’s Barbeque, since it was close by and I figured it was something different for them. Well, I must say it was a big hit with them, best hamburger they ever had, best ribs, best pulled pork, etc. When we finished dinner it was back to my house, we had about an hour and a half before I had to take them back to the train station. We had great conversations on how they do things in Sweden and how we work in the USA. I must say, they couldn’t thank us enough for a great time and we had just as good of a time. Of course, I was invited to Sweden to visit their training center and work with them, and I think I’ll take them up on their offer.

John Pilger NCSG and CSIA International Relations Committee

S W E E P I N G April 2016

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chimney sweeps gathered at the Rosen Plaza Inn in Orlando, Fla., in late February of 2016 for the annual convention of the National Chimney Sweeps Guild. The Guild set new attendance records with 108 first time attendees and 28 international attendees from 6 countries, according to Claire Rutledge, CSIA Program Director. Rutledge said Chimney sweeps travelled to Orlando from Germany, Finland, Canada, France, Scotland, and Denmark. Everyone seemed to have a great time at the Rosen Plaza Inn, which provided a great selection of restaurants, cafes, and bars for chimney sweeps to congregate, catch up with old friends, and make new ones. After a rainy first day, the sun came out, and quite a few sweeps hung around the pool in between seminars. The staff of the Rosen was really friendly and helpful, they all seemed glad to be working there. The opening keynote speech on Wednesday, by Story Musgrave, was entertaining. Musgrave had to speak very quickly to cram all of his accomplishments into a ninety minute talk, called “From Farm Kid to Rocket Man: Design a Life for Yourself One Little Step at a Time.” Musgrave’s underlying message seemed to be to apply everything you’ve learned in your life to deal

April 2016

with what’s in front of you, in the present moment, to the very best of your ability. “I’m simply going to be the best I can every second of the day,” he said. His story was astounding, taking him from the farm where he grew up and became a high school dropout, through his careers as military mechanic, a college wrestler, a pilot, a neurosurgeon, an astronaut, a designer and mechanic for the Hubble Space Telescope, and a landscape architect and grandpa. He didn’t tell us much about the fatherhood or husband part of his life. If he didn’t have photos to validate his claims, I wouldn’t have believed a word of his story. But he did have photos, and the audience seemed to enjoy his presentation, rewarding him with a standing ovation. After Musgrove’s talk, the assembly attempted to take a group photo out by the pool, but the weather didn’t feel like cooperating, rain came down in buckets, sending the crowd of chimney sweeps running back to the safety of the Rosen Plaza. After lunch, the schedule of educational seminars began. Wednesday evening the opening reception featured Mary Poppins herself, along with her chimney sweep, Bert, dressed in full chimney sweeping regalia, available for photo opportunities.

The following three days were packed with business building and technical seminars, networking opportunities, and of course the NCSG trade show. As always, there were endless opportunities for chimney sweeps and business owners to grow their knowledge, in and out of the classes. The CSIA auction, as always, was a blast. The theme was Hawai, and Stoner was dressed as a Tiki Warrior, whatever that is. But you could tell it was him, because he was wearing the best costume. The Auction was a big success, and raised a lot of money for the CSIA.

The closing keynote by CSIA President Mark Stoner was inspiring. Stoner’s new book, Blue Collar Gold, How to Build A Service Business From the Ground Up, went to everyone in attendance. The publication of his book is only the latest in a long list of Stoner’s impressive accomplishments. The final event was the banquet and awards ceremony, which is like the Oscars of the Chimney Industry. Everyone dressed up and ate a really good dinner and clapped for all the award winners.

New Attendees There were 108 first time attendees at the 2016 NCSG National Convention, according to NCSG Program Director Claire Rutledge. I decided to speak with a few of them. Two of them were Javen Martinez and Nicholas Graham, certified sweeps with my chimney service business in New Mexico. We got a photo of all three of us with NCSG President Jeremy Biswell, taken by the NCSG First Lady Biswell. Martinez and Graham really enjoyed Chris Prior’s seminar on masonry heaters, and CSIA Mark Stoner’s closing keynote inspired both of them. “I like meeting the other sweeps,” said Martinez. “Seeing all these people who are totally into it.” During the trade show, I went looking for other first time attendees, and I found a couple of them. The first one I sat down with Chris Bevan, of Chimney Doctors in Bailey, CO. Chimney Doctors paid for his trip to the convention, along with four other members of the company. I was glad to meet someone from Colorado, because there are so few of us from

west of the Mississippi who attend NCSG conferences. Bevan, 27. He said he thought the conference was “pretty awesome.” “Everybody is trying to help out the other guy,” he said. “It is a brotherhood here.” He says he likes his chimney sweeping job “because I feel like I’m making a difference, helping people heat their home. My office is amazing, my view is hundreds of miles, I can’t complain about sweeping chimneys at all.” After that, I spoke with David Steward, of Claremore, OK. He works for a company called Chimney Man. He paid his own expenses to come to the convention. “The trade show has been amazing,” said Steward. “It’s great to be able to come in and see all the products as opposed to just seeing the catalogues. The best part is meeting all the other sweeps. Network, learn, form relationships. And coming to Florida in February is never a bad idea.”

April 2016

25 S W E E P I N G

Introduction to Masonry Heaters with Chris Prior

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ne of the most beloved and admired members of the National Chimney Sweeps Guild isn’t actually a chimney sweep. Legendary mason Chris Prior, inventor of the Prior Fire masonry fireplace, donates time and energy every year to Sweep’s Week at the CSIA Technology Center in Plainfield, IN, constructing incredible things out of bricks and mortar. His homestead in Upstate New York serves as the domicile of the New York State Chimney Sweep’s Guild Annual Summer Workshop. His Santa Claus beard and the twinkle in his eye have been familiar, reassuring sights at Guild conventions for many years. He serves as sort of an unofficial liaison between the National Chimney Sweeps Guild and the Masonry Heater Association of North America (MHA). At the NCSG he and Steve Bushway manned the MHA booth at the NCSG trade show. I asked Prior about his role as ambassador between chimney and masonry trades. “It’s a perfect marriage,” he said of the strengthening bond. He said each group has knowledge that benefits the other group. Prior’s seminar on masonry heaters at the 2016 NCSG convention represented a new high point in the relationship between sweeps and masons. A giant room at the Rosen Plaza was filled to the brim with chimney sweeps, eager to learn anything Prior has to teach. Although Prior could be seen working on his PowerPoint in the main foyer of the hotel until a few minutes before he presented it, his seminar couldn’t have been better. It was clean, streamlined, informative, educational, and entertaining, and it established him as perhaps the world’s foremost expert on masonry heaters. Prior began by discussing humankind’s earliest use of fire to stay warm and to cook food. In Western Europe, he said, people were mostly intrigued by the flames themselves, and they enjoyed looking at the fire and getting warmth directly from the flames. In Eastern and Northern Europe, however, people became fascinated with how the heat from the flames could be stored in the rocks around the fire pit. That’s why, Prior explained, as centuries went by, Western Europe turned into more of a fireplace culture, where folks liked to sit around the fire looking at the flames, while Eastern Europe developed the technology of the masonry heater. The colonial United States was primarily settled by Western

April 2016

Europeans, he said, which is one of the reasons masonry heaters are not very well known in the US. He then launched into the most concise, complete, and informative discussion of masonry heaters I have ever seen or heard. His talk covered the five basic designs of masonry heaters (Finnish Contraflow, Swedish 5 Run, German/Austrian Grundofen, Russian Heaters, and the newest type, called Bell Heaters.) He covered strategies for servicing each kind of heater, and he covered the principles of heat transfer, including conduction, radiation, and convection and how they relate to masonry heaters. As any chimney sweep who has passed the CSIA exam should know, radiant energy emitted from a hot surface travels through the air in radiation waves. What many of us may not know, though, is that radiation waves emitted from a hot metal surface has a short wavelength, whereas radiation from a masonry surface has a much longer wavelength. Longer wavelengths of heat radiation are more comfortable to live with, Prior said. That’s one of the reasons why heat from masonry heaters (and soapstone wood stoves) is so much steadier and more comfortable than the heat that comes from from steel or cast iron wood stoves. A masonry heater is like a battery, he said. When you fire it, you are charging it with energy. Then, the heater does its job and distributes the heat through the space via

Two Seminars on Code Updates

t’s official: the 2016 edition of NFPA 211 has been published. All sweeps should obtain a copy. While changes are not extensive, there are some important additions. How do I know this? Because at the NCSG convention, I attended two seminars regarding codes and standards: 1) NFPA Code Updates with Jim Brewer & John Pilger, and 2) Beyond the Codes: Regulations That Affect What We do and How We do It with Rick Vlahos. Both sessions were highly informative. Brewer and Pilger represent the NCSG on the committees that help develop changes to the NFPA code books. They are among the most knowledgeable sweeps in the industry. One major change to the new NFPA code books, was the lack of a vertical line signifying which areas of the code had changed from the previous code book. This is unfortunate because it makes it a lot more difficult to find the changes. That’s why I’m going to point out some of the more important changes here. While this is not a complete list, I’ve tried to point out the most notable updates to NFPA 211 here: • Language re dryer vent length limits has been added; (NFPA 211 10.7.3.4 - 10.7.3.4.3) maximum length of 35 feet, with 2.5 ft reduction for every 45 degree elbow and a 5 ft reduction for every 90 degree elbow. Dryer vent length includes the length of the transition duct. • Attic insulation shields (NFPA 6.4) Factory-built chimneys installed through insulation or areas to be insulated shall be separated by a physical barrier to establish minimum air space clearance required by manufacturer. • New language regarding aftermarket parts for UL 127 listed appliances (factory built fireplaces) allows for installation of aftermarket parts under certain conditions, (see NFPA 14.7.1.2.1) • If original parts are not “available.” • If aftermarket parts are approved by the authority having jurisdiction. • If aftermarket parts are installed by a “qualified agency.” There are also a few minor changes to NFPA 31, the standard for oil heating, which also has a new code book out for 2016. The changes are pretty minor, according to Pilger. Changed sections include: • NFPA 31 10.5.1 and 10.5.1.1 • NFPA 31 10.5.1.2 • NFPA 31 5.1.3 • NFPA 31 5.2.1 • NFPA 31 A.5.2.1.1, regarding depressurization. Additional language has been added: “The oil heating equipment installer should take action as needed to correct excessive depressurization of the appliance combustion air zone and return the flue draft and over-fire draft to the requirements of the oil heat equipment manufacturer. Other important news with regards to codes and standards was presented by Rick Vlahos of the National Fireplace Institute. Vlahos spoke at length about the EPA’s New Source Performance Standard (NSPS), which has been updated recently. The new regulations, released in 2015, are to take effect in two phases. 1st phase will require wood stoves to emit no more than 2.5 grams per hour. The 2nd phase will go into effect in 2020, and the emissions limit will go down to 2.5 grams per hour. Pellet and masonry heaters are no longer exempt. The NSPS does not cover coal stoves, cook stoves, or fireplaces.

conduction and radiation over the course of the day. The mass of the heater holds and distributes the heat more evenly than other types of heaters. A typical masonry heater is fired once or twice a day, for about an hour, and keeps the house warm 24/7. A quick google search will show you all kinds of beautiful masonry heaters, including some diagrams of what the insides look like. But Prior’s discussion gave an in-depth description of how masonry heaters work, why they work so well, their origins and evolution, and the fairly recent development of masonry heater technology in the United States. Masonry heaters have been in use for thousands of years in Europe, they were even used to heat the roman bathhouses in ancient times. Prior did mention that Mark Twain, the great American author who lived in the 1800’s, encountered and wrote about masonry heaters when he was traveling in Europe. Somehow, Prior was able to summon Twain’s ghost from somewhere in the darkness of the audience, and the spirit of Mark Twain, in a southern accent, spoke Twain’s own words to everyone in attendance: One firing is enough for the day; the cost is next to nothing; the heat produced is the same all day, instead of too hot and too cold by turns...America could adopt this stove, but does America do it? The American wood stove, of whatsoever breed, it is a terror. There can be no tranquility of mind where it is. It requires more attention than a baby. It has to be fed every little while, it has to be watched all the time; and for all the reward you are roasted half your time and frozen the other half. Many experts agree with Mr. Twain and consider masonry heaters to be the most efficient way to heat with wood. The masonry heater association is a valuable resource for sweeps who need help figuring out how to service or fix masonry heaters. Their annual meeting, a weeklong festival of classes and workshops in the mountains of North Carolina, is growing in popularity. For more information about masonry heaters and the masonry heater association, including a directory of members, go to http://www.mha-net.org/ .

The possible consequences of these new regulations are as follows: High efficiency systems may be more draft sensitive and prone to condensation, meaning chimneys will likely need to be extended and singlewall connectors will need to be replaces with doublewall to ensure adequate chimney temperatures. In other news, the pellet fuels institute now has a system for grading fuel pellets.

April 2016

27 S W E E P I N G

General Panel Discussion: Industry Technology Panel

28 S W E E P I N G

he Industry Technological Panel discussion featured several of the leading figures in the industry. As I sat down in my usual place in the front row and set up my computer to take notes, somebody asked me if the seat next to me was taken. I looked up and saw that it was CSIA President Mark Stoner. Sitting next to Stoner turned out to be almost as entertaining as the panel discussion itself. The first panelist to speak was Jim Pritchett, who began his presentation by saying, “My wife bought me a new toy.” Pritchett proceeded to do a show and tell presentation, with his iPhone wirelessly connected to the overhead projector. He was showing us the latest in 3D photographic technology, available online for under $400. “What I did last month was work on a lighting system,” said Pritchett, messing with his phone to change the images taken by his 3D camera on the giant screen behind him. He showed us a photo of something that looked like a cross between a UFO and an IED, with some LED light bulbs sticking out in different directions. “I have a picture of myself going through TSA with this,” he said. President Stoner, sitting next to me, immediately pulled up a couple of 360-degree cameras on amazon.com on his iPad. They cost from $260 to $360. During a pause in the presentation, Stoner asked Pritchet, “What brand is it?” “Oh that’s top secret,” said Pritchett. “Show them what a flash cam is,” said CSIA Director of Education Ashley Eldridge, standing next to Pritchet. “How many people know what a flash cam is?” Pritchett asked the crowd. I was too busy trying to keep up with what was going on with President Stoner’s iPad to turn around and see how many people raised their hands. At one point there was a question about how to protect the camera when it was inside the chimney. Pritchard said that he had ordered something from Japan. After a brief interlude, during which panelist Sally McKnight spoke about the possibility of using mushrooms to safely compost leftover creosote, Pritchett came back and showed footage of something that could prove to be a highly valuable tool for chimney sweeps: a thermal imaging camera that works with an iPhone.

April 2016

“It’s available at the Apple Store for $250,” said Elridge, as Pritchett showed images taken from his thermal imaging camera on the big screen. The pictures were highly psychedelic, colorful photos of various objects, including people. A murmur went through the crowd as several hundred chimney sweeps contemplated aloud the potential applications in our trade for this device. Legendary Chim-Scan Chimney Interior Inspection System inventor Tom Urban was the next panelist to speak. Urban spoke for a few minutes about the challenges of keeping up with the ever increasing rate of innovation, as an inventor and as a business owner who develops and manufactures highly technological chimney inspection systems. “We spent close to $100,000 having outside consultants helping us structure the business.” The next panelist was Kevon Binder, who talked about the possibilities of interfacing various apps, including Google Maps, to help a service business operate. He mentioned the usefulness of consumer safety apps, including one called RecallManager, which enables a user to find out if the product they are trying to service has been recalled. The next panelist was Rob Lindemann, who introduced himself as “owner of the largest chimney sweeping company on the planet.” He wore a cast on his hand, which was from a weightlifting injury, he said. Lindeman spoke about the increasing pace of technological innovation and he went through several criteria he uses to decide which technology to adapt in his business. “The most important thing is to use technology that other people are using,” said Lindeman. “If you buy a piece of software and the people aren’t willing to implement it, it won’t work.”

Congratulations to our 2016 Award Winners! (Counter-clockwise from top right)

President’s Award: Jay Walker Friendship Award: Bonnie Bowser Don Leavitt Education Award: Michael Segerstrom CSIA Unsung Hero Award: Megan McMahon Sweep Away Breast Cancer Fundraising Award: Winston’s Of Northern Virginia, Inc.

Lindemann said he prefers equipment that can be easily repaired and replaced. “I like stuff that’s readily available. You can go to Best Buy or Amazon and get something replaced. Easy to fix, easy to replace. Get something that’s tested and supported.” As far as apps go, Lindemann said, “I don’t think we’ve ever spent more than nine bucks for an app.” The final presenter on the panel was chimney sweeping legend Jim Brewer. Brewer has been experimenting with the use of flying drones to help with chimney inspections. In his usual deadpan style, Brewer got the crowd laughing right away with his lists of things drones can do and can’t do, with regard to chimney work. Drones can’t carry materials, repair chimneys, or clean chimneys, he said. But drones can do some things, he said. They can crash, they can injure people or kill people, they can damage property, and they can interfere with aircraft, he continued. Drones can also give you

good, up-close look at chimneys, crowns, and flashings, which can be practical for estimates and pre inspection that otherwise might require a bucket lift. But if you can put a ladder up to see what you need to see, Brewer said that’s probably the best way to go. Brewer said he spent over 40 hours learning to fly his own drone before he felt comfortable putting one anywhere near a chimney. He also mentioned that when you program a drone to return home if the signal is lost, be careful where you are. Brewer said Mark Stoner was in his living room (Stoner’s living room) when he programmed a drone, and so when the drone tried to come home it crashed into his roof trying to get inside. President Stoner laughed and nodded his head and laughed some more, agreeing with Brewer’s recommendation. The president did not deny the allegation of his drone SNAFU.

April 2016

29 S W E E P I N G

Why Crown Coatings Fail By Stuart Karanovich

5.) It should have a minimum 3⁄8 inch expansion joint around the perimeter of the flue 6.) It should have a bond break between the top course of bricks and the bottom of the crown 7.) It should slope downward from the flue liner to the outside edge of the crown at a rate of three inches per foot on all sides

30 S W E E P I N G

himney fires, lightning strikes, and creosote are not a chimney’s biggest threat – water is. Most experts agree that the durability of an external masonry chimney depends primarily on its ability to withstand water penetration. When properly constructed, the crown will protect the chimney from deterioration. Unfortunately, they are almost always designed incorrectly, constructed of improper materials, or built with poor quality workmanship. Unless we are involved with the initial construction or are called upon to rebuild, we are usually unable to influence these three important factors. To understand what our options are, we must first understand what a proper chimney crown actually looks like. I am continually amazed as I travel to regional, state and local guilds just how much people disagree on the proper construction of a chimney crown.

April 2016

I draw my guidance from NFPA 211, the Brick Industry Association (www.gobrick.com), and my personal experience in the industry. If your views do not mesh totally with mine, I will not take offense and hope that you will not either. Even if we do not agree completely, I hope that our opinions are at least very similar, as I believe I present best practices here.

A Properly Constructed Crown There are seven properties of a properly constructed crown: 1.) It should be constructed of pre-cast concrete, stone, or cast-in-place concrete 2.) It should be two inches thick at its thinnest point 3.) It should extend at least two-and-one-half inches beyond the outside chimney walls in all directions 4.) It should incorporate a drip edge at least one inch from the chimney on the underside of the crown

Additionally, if we are pouring a cast-in-place crown, it should be reinforced with at least a half inch galvanized hardware cloth or welded wire fabric, located mid-depth in the crown. If all crowns were built to these specifications, there would be little need to re-pour or repair them. Because these standards are rarely observed without remediation by a knowledgeable chimney professional, we encounter many crowns in various stages of failure. Most deterioration stems from using a mortar wash instead of concrete and from missing bond breaks between the flue tile, chimney structure, and the crown. These dissimilar materials have different temperature coefficients, causing them to expand and contract at different rates, which literally causes them to tear themselves apart.

Properties of a Lasting Crown Repair Product Because much of the damage we observe is caused by this movement, applying another rigid repair – such as a mortar wash – over an

improperly constructed crown would simply crack as well, probably sooner than later. A better solution would be mastic class products. A mastic, when cured, will have a slight amount of give or elasticity to it. This will allow the substrates below it to continue to move without cracking or tearing. With the increasing quality of these mastics’ resins, a technician can count on ten or more years from this type of repair. However, some mastic repairs fail prematurely, causing the technician to wonder why.

Prep...Prep...Prep Many failures can be traced to lack of preparation of the crown prior the application of a mastic repair. The crown is often tainted with atmospheric contaminates and microbial growth. These must always be removed prior to attempting a repair. The preferred method is the use of a wire brush followed by a synthetic bristle brush or compressed air to remove the remnants of the wire brushing. Brushing the crown will create hundreds of thousands of small fissures on the surface of the crown, effectively doubling or tripling the surface area, giving more area for the mastic repair to grab a hold of.

Surface Bonding For a mastic repair to last, it must penetrate the surface of the crown. If it doesn’t

penetrate, we risk premature failure. The surface may look smooth and solid, but it actually consists a series of interconnected pores and capillaries. If we apply a mastic repair on a hot sunny day, the mastic may ‘flash dry’ on the surface. Misting the crown with water will lower the surface temperature and dilute the mastic enough to allow it to flow into the pores and capillary structure of the crown. On sandy mortar wash crowns, the use of a concrete bonding agent such as Acryl 60 can sometimes help. Check with your manufacturer for compatibility. I have had a number of technicians ask me if they can use their water repellent to mist the crown. While this may sound like a good idea, I highly recommend that you do not do this. Most mastics

are water based; attempting to put another coat down will most likely be unsuccessful as the water repellent will not allow the mastic to penetrate the pore structure. If you apply a water repellent before your mastic repair, and the mastic fails, you have painted yourself into a corner so to speak. At that point you would have little choice but to demo and rebuild.

Condensation Some crown coatings may fail because of condensation in the chimney, which rises and penetrates the crown from beneath. I see this mainly when you have an oversized chase. In the winter when the flue is hot and the chimney cavity is cold, condensation can occur. Conversely, in the summer when the flue is cool and the cavity is warm, condensation can still occur. Fortunately the remedy for this fairly simple. We can vent the chimney cavity with stainless steel tubes or vents that look like bricks. Both repairs are virtually invisible from the ground and will exchange air with the outside, equalizing pressure and eliminating condensation.

Workmanship The application of crown coatings has a significant effect on their durability. When repairing a crown, ensure that it has a smooth surface and that it slopes away from the flue tile.

April 2016

31 S W E E P I N G

I have seen many failures caused by a rough surface that allowed water to stand and freeze. This can create a small crack or tear that grows each successive freeze/thaw cycle. Misting with water and lightly going over the surface with a clean brush will go a long way to solve this problem.

than replace a damaged crown, following some of the guidelines above should ensure that it will be a reliable repair that will meet your customers’ needs and serve your company well.

On mortar wash crowns, run the repair down half an inch over the first course of bricks. Many times there is a gap here that will let water in. When the chimney freezes, this gap raises slightly and allows water into and sometimes under the mastic repair, which causes premature failure. The crown is an important component of a chimney. Should you choose to repair rather

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April 2016

Dates and

Events

April 4-9, 2016 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training Schoo CSIA Technology Center - Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org April 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 April 6-8, 2016 Alliance for Green Heat Pellet Stove Design Challenge Brookhaven National Laboratory - Upton, NY For more information contact John Ackerly jackerly@ forgreenheat.org April 8 - 9, 2016 Northeast / Mid-Atlantic Chimney Expo Valley Forge Casino, King of Prussia, PA For more information, please email contact@ certifiedchimneyprofessionals.com April 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 April 15, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Best Western Sovereign Hotel – Albany, NY For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org April 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

April 22, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org April 25, 2016 – May 1, 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 May 2-8, 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 SteelFor more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org May 5-7, 2016 PA Guild Annual Workshop - Dedication of our new training center -Gas Service Training -Basic Masonry Training -Crown building training -Copperfield Reline Seminar May 4th *(hands on) -Finish outdoor fireplace -Many vendors attending For more information, please call Bill Thornton (215) 5409787or visit PA Guild of Professional Chimney Sweeps Facebook Page May 9-15, 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 SteelFor more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

April 2016

33 S W E E P I N G

New

Members

REGION

REGION REGION REGION

REGION

2 2 343 4 5 5 NEW JERSEY

NORTH CAROLINA

ILLINOIS

TEXAS

Oscar Melian | All Seasons Air Duct Cleaning | Cliffside Park

William Boeger | Sandhills Chimney Service, Inc. | Carthage

Sean Folino | Chicago Fireplace & Chimney Co. | Lombard

William Pigott | Pigott, William | Baytown

NEW YORK

GEORGIA

MICHIGAN

Matthew Tole | Flue Bug Chimney Service | Churchville

Laszlo Hendre | All Metro Atlanta Chimney Valve & Dryer Repair | Atlanta

Matt Scheller | Smokestack Sweep, LLC | Howell

Todd Hall | Platinum Chimney Services, LLC | Forney

CONNECTICUT Keith Brescia | Chimneys Plus Chimney Service | Bethel

Jose Rosado | Chimney Mischief | Atlanta

MISSOURI

James Johnson | Flue Doctor | Tracy

Jesse Wright | Wright American Hearth, LLC | Carthage

WISCONSIN

55 66 Benjamins Zonis | Handyman On Call | Reisterstown

Bran Burkholder | Survival Products | Salibury

34 S W E E P I N G April 2016

REGION

MARYLAND

Alicia Brock| Swept Away Chimney | Acworth

REGION

Edwin Rojas | R & R Chimney Sweep, LLC | Westport

MINNESOTA

Kurt Wendt | Merrill Sheet Metal | Merrill

SOUTH DAKOTA Scott Granville | Chimney Swift Pierre

COLORADO Daniel Gross | Gross, Daniel | Littleton

KANSAS Mike Locke | Heavenly Hearth | Wichita

Classifieds

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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. We are looking for “Hearth Products Installers/ Chimney Service Technicians,” to grow with our company. If you are looking for a rewarding career with great compensation and benefits, then Luce’s Chimney & Stove Shop LLC may be the right career path for you. This career entails: Installations of all types of hearth appliances, diagnostics and repair. Complete chimney services including: chimney sweeping/evaluations, relining and all related chimney repairs. We are located in NW Ohio, check us out at www. luceschimney.com We are looking for: An excellent communicator – written and verbal. A results driven detailed oriented individual with a winning attitude. CSIA and/or NFI Certifications required. Please submit a resume online to jluce@ luceschimney.com subject line” RESUME”. 3017 US Rte. 20A, Swanton, Ohio 43558 Hearth Retailer/Chimney Service Company in York, PA looking to hire an Installer/Certified Chimney Sweep. Wide range of duties. Please send resume to: joann villagechimneysweeps.com Or send to: The Village Chimney Sweeps, Inc. 1439 South George Street York, Pa Phone: (717) 846-9417 www.villagechimneysweeps.com 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.

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CSIA Update April 2016 Report

www.CSIA.org

CSIA Announces

Master Chimney Sweep

Designation One of the hottest items coming out of the 2016 NCSG Convention was the announcement by CSIA President Mark Stoner, of the launch of a new CSIA Master Chimney Sweep designation.

best”, he said, “the individuals hand-selected for this honor have consistently proven themselves

Stoner made the announcement during the CSIA info meeting on Tuesday morning of the convention, leaving plenty of time for discussion throughout the week. The Master Sweep credential represents the highest level of educational and ethical achievement in the chimney sweeping industry. In contrast to the Certified Chimney Sweep credential, which is awarded solely on meeting certain educational requirements, the Master Chimney Sweep will be awarded through an application and vetting process conducted by the CSIA Board of Directors. Among other requirements, Master Sweep applicants must be current CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps who have held that credential for at least ten years. Stoner makes it clear that earning the Master Chimney Sweep credential is more a privilege than a right. “This credential identifies the best of the

CSIA Treasurer Chuck Roydhouse stands with CSIA’s first two Master Chimney Sweeps, Dennis Dobbs (L) and John Pilger (R) during the 2016 NCSG Convention Awards Banquet.

in the industry and have truly gone above and beyond in their efforts to stay at the top of their field.” As an even bigger surprise to those in attending the convention, the first two CSIA Master Chimney Sweep badges were awarded to John Pilger, of Smithtown, NY, and Dennis Dobbs, of Ft. Payne, AL., as part of the NCSG Convention awards banquet. ||

A detailed list of requirements for obtaining the CSIA Master Chimney Sweep designation can be found at www.csia.org/ mastersweep

April 2016 Report

Newly Certified CCS and C-DET Maryland Zachary Lawrence | Magic Broom Chimney Sweeps | Waldorf Michigan Anthony Zanni | Chimney Cricket, Inc. | Livonia Alaska

Missouri

William Chouinard | The Woodway | Fairbanks

Tyler Scott | Aaron’s Alternative Energy| High Ridge

Arizona Charles Golden | Golden’s Good Air | Glendale

North Carolina Steven Franke | Chimney Plus, Inc | Pittsboro

Arkansas

Chris Brooks| Chimney Guys, Inc | Waxhaw

James Nivens| Top Hat Chimney & Roofing | Springdale

Jeffery Osborne | Bob Davis Chimney and Fireplace | Gastonia

Andrew Deddens | Chimney Master, LLC| Carmel

Mike Wentzel | Jamison Chimney Service | Oreland

Cameron Cooper | Chimney 1, Inc.| Ft. Wayne

Rhode Island

www.CSIA.org Letter from the CSIA President

this year’s award.

education.

As honored as I was to be asked to provide the closing keynote address at the 2016 NCSG Convention, my greatest honor was being able to present our annual awards to some amazing people whose service to our industry has been immeasurable.

The Unsung Hero Award recognizes those that are, many times, behind the scenes in our industry. They work diligently and effectively without the notice of many but their work can be felt and measured by those who know them.

This year’s award went to Mark Calamino of Olympia Chimney

Throughout my term as CSIA’s President I have been privileged to work along side many industry greats as well small staff of dedicated individuals who seek very little credit (but deserve a great deal) for the gains we have made. I chose Michael Segerstrom for the Don Levitt Education Award because of his total dedication to the education process. Over the past several years he has volunteered his time as a Director for the CSIA, he has been the Technical Advisor for the NCSG, an instructor at our National Chimney Sweep Training School as well as an instructor for industry vendors around the country. Mike is committed to industry education and I could not think of someone who is more deserving of

I named Megan McMahon this year’s Unsung Hero because of her outstanding work in the finance department for both the NCSG and the CSIA. Megan was completely taken aback by the recognition and would never want to be singled out for her work but all of us on the board realize the great value she provides for us to help financially make decisions and to “steer the ship” The Vendor Education is a new award this year because I wanted to recognize the outstanding work of some vendors to promote industry

Supply. Mark has been instrumental in organizing many workshops around the country for Olympia while also promoting the importance of the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep credential. Mark is a joy to work with and a complete professional for all those that work with him. Congratulations to Mark for a fantastic year of educating chimney technicians. —Mark Stoner

CSIA EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep ® Review & Exam April 15 | Albany, NY April 22 | Plainield, IN [CSIA Technology Center] This in-person intensive review session will help you prepare for the CCS exam. Review sessions are not a substitute for advanced study.

Contact Us: Mailing Address 2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168 Telephone (317) 837-5362 Email: Office@CSIA.org Twitter: @Chimney_Safety Facebook: /ChimneySafety

CSIA CEUs: 4.5 [1.5-T, 1.5-CS, 1.5-CL]

Inspection & Report Writing May 12-13 | Plainield, IN [CSIA Technology Center] Chimney inspections and evaluations, report writing including regional and environmental influences, effective photo documentation, digital organization, and administrative procedures. CSIA CEUs: 12 [4-T, .4-CS, 4-CL] NFI CEUs: 12-T

National Chimney Sweep Training School June 6-11 | Plainfield, IN [CSIA Technology Center] 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

April 2016 Report

RE: CSIA Auction I would like to personally thank each and everyone who helped to make this year’s convention auction a record-breaking success. I am very grateful for the vendors and personal donations, as well as the hard work that our volunteers and staff put into planning and executing this annual event. Without them we would not be a success. This event is our primary fundraiser and is used to provide topshelf education for our industry in order to hone our craft and provide a solid return on your educational investment. My sincere and heartfelt thanks,

Chuck Roydhouse CSIA Treasurer

Dennis Anderson | Saratoga Fireplace & Stove | Saratoga Springs

Tom Smail | Ash Be Gone | Kittaning

Ohio

Jason Tucker | Ashbusters Chimney Service Inc. | Nashville

Tennessee

Darwin

Award

There is a lot of Darwinism going on with these people. But the size and thickness of this ivy is just awe inspiring. - Joe Sauter, Your Chimney Sweep, Inc. of Indianapolis, Ind.

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.

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CVC Coaching

704-425-0217

www.cvccoaching.com 17

Firesafe Industries, Inc.

800-545-6607

www.firesafeinc.com 5

Fireside Distributors

866-880-3473

www.FiresideAmerica.com 8

Gelco™, Lyemance™, and Lock-Top®

www.gllchimneyproducts.com

ICP 508-695-7000 www.chimneycaps.com 21 Lindemann Chimney Company

866-629-8006

www.lindemannsupply.com 11

M&G DuraVent

800-835-4429

www.duravent.com 4

Mongoose Metals, Inc.

844-358-3227

sales@mongoosemetals.com 23

National Chimney

800-897-8481

www.nationalchimney.com 7

New England Chimney Supply

888-900-8106

www.newenglandchimneysupply.com 13

Olympia Chimney Supply

800-569-1425

www.olympiachimney.com 9

Sand Hill Wholesale & Mfg., Inc

800-258-5496

www.sandhillwholesale.com 15

SaverSystems, Inc

800-860-6327

www.saversystems.com 16

Smoktite 207-439-0069 info@ventechindustries.com 32 Wohler USA, Inc.

April 2016

978-750-9876

www.wohlerusa.com 20

Where Where has your has your

Sweeping

been been

Thomas Rhines and Stephanie Williams brought their Convention Issue of Sweeping Magazine to the Grand Canyon! Where will you take your copy of Sweeping? Snap a photo of you with your copy on vacation or even in front of a local landmark in your hometown and send it to marketing@ncsg.org to see it in the magazine!

National Chimney Sweep Guild 2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168

1408