Frequently Asked Questions

Once a year, burn or no burn. Creosote builds up from every fire you light, but moisture, nesting animals, and simple seasonal shifting cause problems in the off-season too. Annapolis humidity accelerates rust and mortar wear faster than drier climates, which means chimneys here need consistent attention. If you burned more than two cords last winter, or you burn soft woods like pine, you may need a mid-season checkup. The annual visit is insurance, not busywork.

We lay drop cloths around the hearth, run brushes through the flue from top to bottom or bottom to top depending on access, vacuum the firebox and smoke chamber, and then run the camera. That camera pass is the part that matters most: your flue doesn't care how the fire looks, it cares how it breathes. You'll see exactly what we saw, and Wendell will tell you in plain English what's worth fixing now, what can wait a season, and what's fine as-is. The whole visit runs about an hour to ninety minutes for a standard single flue.

Yes, and gas fireplaces need it more than people think. Gas burns cleaner than wood, but it still produces acidic residue that corrodes flue liners over time, and gas logs shed particles that can clog vents. A blocked gas vent is a carbon monoxide risk, not just a nuisance. We sweep gas flues with tools matched to the narrower venting and inspect the connection points for leaks. If you can't remember the last time your gas fireplace was checked, schedule it before burning season starts.

It shouldn't be. We use HEPA-filtered vacuums running continuously during the sweep, lay protective cloth over your floor and furniture, and do a final pass with the vacuum before we pack up. You won't be dusting soot off your mantel for a week. That said, old chimneys with heavy creosote can release more particulate than a clean one, so we ask you to move light rugs and decorative items away from the hearth before we arrive. Most homeowners say the room looks the same when we leave as it did when we got there.

Most standard single-flue chimney cleanings in Annapolis take between 45 and 90 minutes from start to finish. A two-flue home, like many of the older colonials in Cape St. Claire and Severna Park, usually runs closer to two hours. Add another 20 minutes for the camera inspection and walkthrough. If we find heavy glaze creosote or need to pull a bird nest, we'll tell you on the spot and adjust the timeline before we keep going.

You'll need to be there to let us in, but you don't need to hover. We'll walk the work with you before we start, do the sweep, then review the camera footage with you when we're done. Most Annapolis customers grab a coffee and let us work. If you have a specific concern, like a smell you've noticed or a draft that wasn't there before, tell us at the start and we'll make sure the inspection addresses it directly.

We primarily install DuraFlex stainless liners because they hold up to Annapolis humidity and the temperature swings we get off the Bay without corroding the way cheaper alloys will. For sealant and resurfacing work, we use HeatShield when the liner is structurally sound but showing surface cracks. Some jobs call for Copperfield components, particularly caps and crowns that get hammered by salt air near the water. We'll recommend the material that fits your flue and your budget, and you'll see why on the camera.

If your chimney is exposed to the wind off the Chesapeake, yes. Salt air and freeze-thaw cycles work into brick and mortar faster here than inland, and once water gets behind the brick face, spalling starts. We recommend waterproofing on a case-by-case basis, not as a default upsell. If we see the early signs of moisture intrusion during your inspection, we'll show you the footage and give you a price. If your brick is dry and sound, we'll say so and leave it alone.

Yes, and that's one of the most common repairs we do across Annapolis, Arnold, and Edgewater. A cracked crown lets water run down through the flue chase, which rots the mortar joints and eventually the liner. We repair crowns with a flexible sealant designed for masonry movement so it doesn't crack again the first winter. Minor crown cracks are usually a same-visit fix. If the crown has spalled badly, we'll quote a rebuild. Either way, you'll see the crack on camera before any work is approved.

We do, and in Annapolis a cap is one of the best investments you can make. The birds and squirrels in this area love an open flue, and a nest inside your chimney is a fire and carbon monoxide hazard. A stainless cap with a mesh screen keeps animals out, keeps rain from pooling at the base of the flue, and stops sparks from escaping onto your roof. We'll check your cap during your annual sweep and tell you honestly if it needs replacing or if it'll go another few years.

Wendell Pike carries the licenses and insurance Maryland requires, and the crew working under our name is held to the same standard. That means liability coverage for your property and workers' comp for anyone on the job. If you want to verify before we step foot in your house, call (240) 851-3653 and ask. A straight answer takes thirty seconds, and you deserve it before anyone climbs on your roof.

Everyone who sweeps under the Top Hat name is trained in the trade, and anyone doing anything beyond a standard cleaning is required to hold the license their state requires for that work. We don't run apprentices solo on your roof. Wendell has been doing this since 1999 and has cleaned thousands of flues in Anne Arundel County. When you book with us, the person who shows up knows what they're doing, or they don't show up under our name.

We're a small local team, not a revolving door of subcontractors. The people who work under the Top Hat name in Annapolis are people Wendell knows personally and has worked with for years. Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance their state requires, and we don't cut corners on that standard for anyone. When you see the truck in your driveway, you know who you're dealing with.

If you've had a chimney fire or you smell smoke inside the house, call (240) 851-3653 and tell us what's happening. We'll get someone on it as fast as our schedule allows, and we'll tell you over the phone whether you need to stop using the fireplace until we arrive. Chimney fires can crack liners and leave your chimney unsafe even after the flames go out. Don't light another fire until we've had a camera in there. Our hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Most routine sweeps in Annapolis can be scheduled within a week or two, depending on the season. Fall fills up first because everyone wants the fireplace ready before the first cold snap. If you call in September, expect a longer wait than if you call in March. Burning season urgency is real: book your sweep in August and you'll have your pick of dates. Call (240) 851-3653 and we'll find you a window that works.

Stop burning immediately and call us. Smoke backing into the house usually means the flue isn't drawing properly because of a blockage, a cold flue, or a pressure issue in the house itself. It can also mean creosote buildup has narrowed the passage enough to trap smoke. None of those are things to burn through and hope it gets better. We'll inspect the flue, find the restriction, and show it to you on camera. Most draw problems are fixable in a single visit, but you need to know what you're dealing with first.

Wendell Pike publishes his name, his address, and his license number, and answers his own phone. Ninety days in writing on every chimney job, and one call brings him back. If something we cleaned isn't right, or a repair we made doesn't hold, we come back and make it right. That's not marketing language; it's the oldest guarantee in the trades: the guy who did the work still lives in your community and answers when you call.

Call us. If we left soot you found later, if a question came up after we left, or if something doesn't feel right, we want to know. Wendell would rather come back and fix it than have you live with work you're not satisfied with, and the 90-day written warranty on every chimney job means you can hold us to it. A sweep who disappears after the check clears doesn't stay in business in a town this size.

We guarantee the work we did, not what the chimney might do next. If we sweep your flue and the camera shows a clean, structurally sound liner, we'll tell you that in writing and the footage is yours to keep. If we find something that needs repair and you choose to defer it, we'll tell you plainly what the risk is and what waiting means. The guarantee is that you always get the truth, and the truth comes with pictures.

Maybe, but you won't know until someone looks inside. Creosote thicker than a quarter inch is a chimney fire waiting to happen, and you can't see it from the hearth. First-degree creosote is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze: catch it early. If it's been more than two years since your last sweep, book an inspection before you light the first fire of the season. An hour of prevention is a lot cheaper than a flue rebuild.

We're based locally and serve Annapolis proper along with Severna Park, Arnold, Lake Shore, Parole, Edgewater, Cape St. Claire, Mayo, Stevensville, Chesapeake Beach, Shady Side, and Deale. If you're within a reasonable drive of Annapolis and you're not sure whether we cover your street, call (240) 851-3653 and ask. If we can't get to you, we'll say so honestly and point you in the right direction.

Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Annapolis since 1999.