Sweeping Magazine- August 2016

Sweeping August 2016 VOLUME 40 #7

The Journal of Chimney and Venting Technology

Sweeps Week The Only Constant In Marketing Is Change Customer Lifetime Value

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Departments President’s Letter 3 Editor’s Letter 5 New Supplier Profile 11 Coach’s Corner 12 Sweeps Advantage 17 Progressive Perks 18 History Project 19 Technical Q&A 24 Date and Events 30 New Members 32 Around the Tech Center 38 Classifieds 39 Darwin Award 40

Cover photo by Jordan Whitt

Table of Contents Sweeping August 2016 Volume 40 Issue 7

Features The Only Constant In Marketing Is Change

Sweeps Week

Customer Lifetime Value

6 20 28 August 2016

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

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

NATIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP GUILD BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016-2017

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

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

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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

August 2016

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

COMMITTEE CHAIRS and TASK FORCES 2016 – 2017

2

STAFF

Resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A last minute decision and a need to make a presidential work visit to the CSIA Tech Center prompted a visit to southwest.com to book a next day plane ticket to Indianapolis.

While booking the ticket that night around 8 pm, my daughter decided she wanted to go as well. This was very exciting to me as she may be the future owner of our family chimney sweep business I started over 16 years ago.

We hopped on the plane the next day and after a very bumpy plane ride, we had arrived! We caught the hotel shuttle bus to our hotel, settled in, put on our walking shoes and made a hike to the Tech Center.

We arrived to a parking lot full of vehicles, sweep vans and trucks, a man lift, and motorcycles. We were greeted with handshakes and hugs by hard working volunteers.

The kitchen was buzzing with Renee Brigman and others chopping and grating and Kevin Russell mixing and baking. Side note: Kevin - all I want for my birthday this year is a cream pie from your oven. Best pie ever!!!

Besides great food and drink, there were masonry stations set up in the tech center lab to teach attendees how to lay brick to the line. Outside there was a tent set up next to the fireplace and pizza oven to keep everyone dry and cool. A crew in front of the Tech Center was grinding at a tree stump with a massive grinding machine and John Pilger was working on creating a wonderful garden for all to enjoy out back.

Throughout the few days we attended, we experienced

wonderful comradery, craftsmanship, and volunteerism. As the week went by, a slew of more people, including quite a few industry veterans, came and went. Some previous employees of the NCSG and CSIA even showed up! It sure was nice seeing everyone.

Towards the end of the week, we were treated with fresh build your own pizzas from the wood fired pizza oven, an upside down fire build, and live music from CSIA Marketing Director Jordan Whitt and his fellow bandmates.

Many associations rely on volunteerism from its members.

Volunteering for the NCSG board of directors over the years has given me the opportunity to network with others in our industry. It has also exposed me to different trends and practices our profession has.

Along with those items, it has helped build my leadership and public speaking abilities.

Volunteering in general helps strengthen your personal skills and competencies. You always learn new and innovative things that you can take back to your company and workplace. Great things can be accomplished during your time spent helping the organization.

President’s

Letter Jeremy Biswell

President

Huge kudos to all Sweeps Week participants.

3

Donating your time on a local scale can be truly rewarding as well. Most Sundays, my family and I volunteer at our church in the children ministry. I help keep the check in computers running, my wife Brandi helps with the new families and visitors check in, and our kids, Noah and Hailey, help in various classrooms and volunteer rooms. My job at the church not only makes me feel

S W E E P I N G August 2016

good, but it also gives me a break from having to be the “guy in charge” as I am during the week. It’s nice sometimes just to be one of the crew and not have to be the leader of the staff.

Having volunteers is vital to an organizations success. I encourage anyone who has a need, an idea, or an ill will about the organization to step up and help out. The value gained from the experience will not disappoint. We need your help to ensure tough decisions are made efficiently and with clear information for our industry. You will discover that it is a great reward to have the feeling that your time was well spent and your efforts made a difference.

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I would like to thank all that came out for Sweeps Week and those who have helped out with Sweeps Week in the past. Thank you to all that have taken the time to make this trade organization great. Thank you to all members of the NCSG for financially supporting our organization year after year. I am a better person getting to know you all and always look forward to meeting everyone at our yearly convention.

Continue being great, Jeremy Biswell, President National Chimney Sweep Guild

H

appy August Sweeps! I hope you all are enjoying the final months of summer as the industry ramps up for fall busy season.

Looking to expand your service offerings this year? This month’s Coach’s Corner focuses on the market for fireplace retrofits. In the Technical Q and A column Mike Segerstrom is answering some of your questions about changes to the NFPA 211.

for this year’s event. You can read about NCSG President Jeremy Biswell’s Sweeps Week experience on page 3!

This month’s Around the Tech Center is a little different.

Instead of photos from our office I am sharing a few photos I took during my trip to Washington, DC for the HPBA Government Affairs Academy.

Editor’s

Letter Darcy Marlett Editor

Cheers,

On page 20 you will tons of photos from this year’s Sweeps Week. As always Sweeps Week was a great success and fun (and too much food) was had by all. Be sure to take a minute to read the list of thank yous

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The Only Constant In

Marketing Is Change Taylor Hill

6 S W E E P I N G

Spark Marketer he only constant in marketing is change.

In fact, if it ever seems as though changes are not happening in the marketing world, those of us here at Spark Marketer get nervous that we’ve missed something. Why? Because some changes happen fast and are incredibly obvious, while other, slower, less obvious changes take focus, awareness, and dedicated effort to catch and respond to. Just consider how quickly and undetectably that beer belly snuck up on you!

T

Think about it, if change is sudden (for example, your scheduling platform has a meltdown), you take notice and accept that you have to make a decision on how to move forward right then and there. You have to respond to the change you’re facing. But when the change

August 2016

is gradual, one of two things may happen: 1. You may notice the changes in the early stages and start taking necessary action and planning for how you and your business will adapt to the change that is occurring.

2. You may not realize that change has occurred or is occurring until it’s too late to respond in an effective way.

Which camp you end up in is determined by your awareness and your willingness to stay flexible and pliable. Those who are always looking for ways to improve and get closer to their goals and who know how vital marketing is to business growth will be willing to make changes and ride the waves of change. Regardless of whether changes are brought on as a result of outside

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factors or interior factors, you have to be willing to roll with the punches if you want to succeed.

The Inevitability Of Change Is Inevitably Frightening So if we know that the marketing world is consistently changing and in flux – from Google, Facebook, and Instagram algorithms to AdWords and Angie’s List, etc. – why are most people so surprised when changes arise and why do they put so much effort into resisting them?

Because change requires action and is many times sparked by something out of our control.

Change is uncomfortable; it elicits fear of the unknown and stretches us. Change can be scary, but it’s necessary if you want to stay on top of things, especially in regards to marketing and business. But what we have to remember is that there’s also so much good that can come from change. Change is cathartic; it stretches us in ways we need to be stretched and allows us to do things we hadn’t previously believed possible. It molds us and shapes us, broadens our horizons, changes our views. Nothing good comes from stagnancy. Whether your goals are

8 S W E E P I N G August 2016

to continue at the level you’re currently at or to move forward and reach new heights, you have to keep moving and stay open to change.

We’re several months out from the NCSG Convention, ask yourself this: Did you implement the things you learned this year and vowed to apply to your business? If not, why? Are you hiding behind excuses like “Life got in the way” or “I simply don’t have the time” because you’re afraid of change? Life will always find a way to get in between you and your goals if you don’t make them priorities. And if fear is keeping you from making the changes you need to make in your business, you’ll always find an excuse to stay rigid and stagnant.

More Of The Same Are you where you want to be with your business and in your life? If not, how do you plan to get there? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You already know where doing things the same old way gets you: the same old place. So ask yourself: Which is scarier?

Finding yourself exactly where you are and

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who you are 10 years from now OR taking that next step, implementing changes, and letting your decision set you off in a new direction?

On multiple occasions, I’ve heard business owners say “I want to be like that guy.” Don’t we all? But so many times, I find that these very same people aren’t truly open to change, aren’t willing to put in the hard work, and aren’t truly committed to doing everything that guy has done and continues to do to keep his business propelling forward. Once again, this comes down to fear. Fear that if changes are implemented, if they truly go for that goal, there’s an element of unknown and failure is a very real possibility.

If the goal of achieving the same level of success as that guy was a real goal that was valued and desired above all, the fear of change and failure would take a backseat to the passion, drive, and courage of the business owner.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.

Today, I am wise so I am changing myself.” – Rumi There will always be unknowns in business, marketing, and of course, life. There will always be things outside of your control. But change and growth starts with YOU. Make the changes in your business, whether it be in the form of: • developing SOPs and establishing systems • investing in customer retention and attraction • really getting involved on social media and engaging customers through the platforms • perfecting hiring practices • investing in insurance • scheduling technical training for your employees • attending business trainings • establishing and protecting company culture • or some other aspect of business development Make it a priority and make the changes – it’s the only way you’ll ever truly become who you are meant to be as a business owner and achieve the level of success you are capable of.

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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F Corner Coach’s Jerry Isenhour

Are Fireplace Retrofits On Your Radar?

ireplace retrofits, often referred to as fireplace replacements or fireplace change-outs. if they are not a part of your product and service offerings yet, maybe you should add this to your list of great business building ideas to check out.

After all who can better tap into this market, than the chimney and venting industry? Our service of chimney sweeping, inspection and diagnosis affords us the opportunity to see the issues in the field, and we as the experts also fully understand the issue of these units in a state of disrepair, and with the skills to also take the job from A to Z, and in the process further the demand of the consumer for our services and products.

Let’s look at the market. What is involved, and why is there such a vast potential? The answer lies in the history of the product and evolution of the product itself.

This market can be divided into two distinct categories: 1) those designed to be installed in a masonry housing (also called a “masonry form” fireplace); and, 2) those designed to be installed in a wood or other combustible housing (what we call a PreFab, a zero clearance unit or a factory built fireplace. The units described as the masonry form are primarily wood burning units; while the units we often called zero clearance will utilize gas, wood, pellet and even electricity as the fuel source.

12 S W E E P I N G

MASONRY FORM TYPES OF FIREPLACES. These were introduced to the market place by the Chemical Toilet Company of Syracuse

August 2016

NY in the 1927. The Chemical Toilet Company went through several transitions over the years going from that original unfortunate name to SaniEquip in 1930, then a later change in name was to Vega Industries along with a move to Mt. Pleasant Iowa. This then followed with a final branding change of the fireplace line to the name Heatilator under the ownership of Vega. Superior, Majestic and others also built these units in subsequent years. In fact, these types of units are still available today.

Heatilator also brought to the market in 1946 a unit that is described to be the first zero clearance fireplace. The research shows this unit was also a masonry form type of fireplace utilizing a factory built chimney where previous units had utilized the masonry chimney as the venting system.

The advantage the unit had over traditional masonry was that it saved time in the construction. It was a unit that could produce radiant heat and also convective heat.

Maybe at the time the teachings of Rumford had already been lost. One of the claims in the advertisements of the day was that these types of fireplaces cured common fireplace smoking issues.

In 1968 Heatilator released the Mark 123, this was the number 1 selling masonry form type of fireplace, likely closely followed with the Superior Heat Form in the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Prior to the availability of wood stoves at the time many people tried to heat entire homes with them as the energy crisis of

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the 1970s made Americans vastly aware that we were dependent on cheap foreign oil‌the same issue that grew the chimney sweep industry.

These units have been a focus for some sweep companies for years. Many have developed methods of cutting these out (the industry term for this is root canal). These are then replaced with a site built firebox and smoke chamber.

There were also many factory produced units designed to fit this bill. One that is popularly used today is the Ahrens Fire.

A previous firebox product that did not last the market was the Tess fireplace introduced in the 1980s, but had a short life.

However, with the existence of many of these now exceeding 50 years (probably well beyond the expected life) many are found to be damaged by the elements. However, just as many sweep companies have found ways to make sales and profits servicing these units, other chimney sweep companies express disdain for these units.

Factory Built Fireplaces For Combustable Housings

14 S W E E P I N G

Now for the other type of unit, the one that is built into a combustible wall, these also have a history. The original unit was one that was patented by Robert K. Thulman in 1952.

Other companies also produced factory built fireplaces. (An amazing fact: at the time of this patent the units and the chimneys had listings that allowed them to be installed with no clearance, hence the reason for the name “zero

August 2016

clearance� that is still often the referenced name by many within the industry.)

This is also evident in the factory built chimneys of the time with their being zero clearance allowed for these.

An interesting side note here is the UL 103 standard was introduced in 1948, but one of the most astounding facts was that at the time UL did not have a lab to test either fireplaces or chimneys. UL used the data supplied by the manufacturer at this time.

This changed in 1958, UL built their own test lab, found earlier testing data was flawed, UL withdrew the listing and Robert D. Thulman, the son of Robert K Thulman, not only had to deal with the death of his father in that year from a stroke, he also had to deal with the impending death of the product line his father had patented.

However, Robert D. prevailed and made changes to the design and the manufacture, and was able to obtain a new listing for his product. This listing revolved around the introduction of refractory panels and a change to a 3-layer chimney (inner liner stainless / middle wall aluminized steel / outer wall galvanized). These early units were thermosiphon units because the cooling air of the firebox and chimney were working together as a part of the total cooling process of the product.

One of the present difficulties with these units is the inability of finding replacement parts as the various manufacturers eventually went out of

business or merged with other companies. One of the most amazing of these is the Preway company which failed after they purchased a grill manufacturer three times their size that financially debilitated them and forced them out of business. The assets of Preway were bought

by Superior but the Preway brand was never made again.

This is such a dilemma that the NFPA 211 in their 2016 standard change even wrote language about what can be done when the parts cannot be found. But even this change to the standard has not put this issue to bed. But this has bought a new descriptive term to light in our industry, that being the term of Qualified Agency that is defined in the 211 document.

This is a market in which, for many reasons, has made significant inroads as the fireplace of choice by the American builder and homeowner. This has resulted in tremendous growth each year. At the current time masonry units are very seldom used in new construction or up fit projects. In fact, the factory built unit has been the preferred fireplace choice for the last 5 decades. The cost factor of many of these newer units has moved to levels that many felt were unreachable just a few short years ago.

One can also examine new home construction since the year 1950. In this time frame we have had over 90 million homes built. It is estimated that over half have one or more fireplaces in the home. The statistics show that most decades resulted in the construction of over 10,000,000

new homes during this period, likely delivering well in excess of 5,000,000 fireplaces per decade.

This has resulted in a rising number of fireplaces in homes that have probably reached and likely have passed the time where replacement should be recommended and a consideration. After all, we not only need to consider the years the units have been in the field, we also have the issue of attack by the elements where water has begun to prematurely degrade the appliance and chimney system. If you also consider the years of abuse by their owners and the lack of regular maintenance, you can see that there is huge potential for service/replacement for these units. In fact everything indicates the retrofit fireplace is the leading product line/

service that a chimney company can pursue today. Adding to this is the dilemma of so many of these units being installed by unqualified installers and the likelihood of many not meeting minimum standards of installation. Additionally, many of the units found in the field are of low cost construction with materials that do not easily repel the effects of the elements.

Others reasons this is such a promising service item for this industry are:

I started presenting short seminars at national and regional meetings in 2013 on this market potential, and have moved this up to a diagnosis class along with how to sell, quote, install, and complete these installations. Now there is complete hands on training available to take you from front to the back of this market.

• The desire to improve the efficiency of the units

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• The unit is damaged from a sudden hostile event • The desire for a new look • The desire for a change of fuels • The desire for a more aesthetically pleasing unit • The desire for lowered emissions

These are some of the leading reasons, there are others, but these should give you sufficient reasoning why the fireplace retrofit product and service offering may just be the gold nugget that can result in a tremendous change in your offerings and your bottom line.

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

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

Sweeps

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

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

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

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

Look forward to hearing from you!

CrownGuard

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Ceramic mortar joint & resurfacing system

Patented

“Thanks again for both you and Dan following up with me about the training I received at your facility. Dan and Steve were great teachers and they were both very knowledgeable about the products that you sell. We looked at many different resurfacing products that are out in the market, and I did not find anything that I was excited about until I heard about your product FireGuard. It hands down blows the competition away. The ease of use, corporate technical support and the unbelievable quality of the product itself truly sets it apart form the rest! It is a game changer for our business. Please keep up the good work and I look forward to working with you and your staff for a long time.”

Tommy Nelms Sweeps & Ladders

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION call: 800-545-6607 info@firesafeinc.com

www.firesafeinc.com

August 2016

17 S W E E P I N G

Progressive

Perks Debbie Cornelius

Membership Development Coordinator

Are You Really Taking Advantage Of Sweeps Advantage Savings?

Now is the time to stop and take some time to review the different benefits available to you as a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild. If you don’t explore these benefits, you are missing out on not only savings but things that can save you time as well as help you become a better business person.

DID YOU KNOW

Stop And Explore Your Guild Benefits!

The Business-building information audio series by Grandy & Associates covers a “business topic” by a different national speaker monthly.

Plus, there is access to all past 240+ programs in 18 different categories that will help you learn the “business side” of your business. This is also a great way to educate your technicians!

DID YOU KNOW – Veracity Insurance Solutions provides tailored insurance coverage just for the needs of the sweeping industry. This includes general liability, soot/creosote coverage and professional liability insurance.

DID YOU KNOW Commercials On Hold provides customized scripts for the chimney sweeping trade to callers that can increase the awareness of the different services you provide while the customer is on hold? For a discounted rate you will receive: choice of digital player, stateof-the-art designs for simple and complex needs, creative scripts by expert copywriter, choice of voice talent, choice of licensed background music

18 S W E E P I N G August 2016

and a complimentary holiday message for December.

DID YOUR KNOW SESCO Management Consultants is available to provide expert advice on employment law and HR challenges including federal and state employment regulations. Whether it’s an employee termination, healthcare reform question, policy development, unemployment claim, etc.

SESCO’s staff is on-call to help.

These are just a few of the many benefits available to you as a member of the NCSG! But, it’s your choice. Continue operating as you currently do OR you can make the time to sit down and make check these benefits and make comparisons. You may be missing out on savings that could make your business more profitable and provide you with more personal time to spend with your family and friends.

Feel free to give me a call at (317) 837-1500 if you have questions about your NCSG member benefits.

History

Preserving Guild History

Project

By Claire Rutledge

Here at the Tech Center we have almost 40 years of accumulated photos, memorabilia, documents, patches and much more.

Unfortunately, a lot of it was housed in old photo albums and in unorganized jumbles in card board boxes.

We recently made the big jump to archival storage for the bulk of our in-house items. While not all photos and documents have been officially assigned a number and assessed, they are for the most part properly housed until they can be catalogued. This assures that they will be properly preserved without damage for many years to come.

19 S W E E P I N G August 2016

Week

Sweeps

20 S W E E P I N G August 2016

All photos

by Jordan Whitt, pictured left, except for the photos in which Mr. Whitt appears — those were taken by Darcy Marlett.

21 S W E E P I N G August 2016

You

Thank

Sweeps Week 2016 Donations National Chimney

• Minuteman 8” x 8” Cast Iron Clean Out door • Pallet of Insulation Mix for oven • Doug Brougher spent day at Tech Center

Lindemann’s

• Provided gloves and sunglasses • William Dawson here for several days

SaverSystems

22 S W E E P I N G

• Andy Meredith demonstrated Heat Shield and cleaned up the burn chimney one Day • Stuart Karanovich spent couple of days helping • Shawn Wright spent one day at Tech Center • Chimney Saver for Tech Center Chimney maintenance

Jim Pritchett, Certified Sweeps •Lift

Marion Schroll (Retired Chimney Sweep) •Pork Ribs

John and Dianne Pilger, Chief Chimney Sweep

•Tech Center Garden Overhaul – cultivation, mulch and fencing

Kevin and Rocky DeLucenay, Smokeys Daylilly Gardens,

Enervex

• John Altiere sent Georgia peaches and pecans

(Former owner of Old Smokey's Fireplace and Chimney, Inc) • Huge donation of Daylilly starts for participants

Grandy & Associates

Lauren Pilger

Kevin and Teresa Russell, Warrior Horse

Victor Imgarten

• Bill Kinnard, President sent cheese board and crackers

• Dessert Chef all week • Cajun lunch on Wed.

August 2016

• U.S. Flag for Tech Center • Individual hand decorated chimney sweep cookies

Special Thanks!

Silent auction contributors for helping making this week possible!

23 S W E E P I N G August 2016

Technical

Q&A

Micheal Segerstrom

NCSG Technical Advisory Chair

24 S W E E P I N G

Question: There has been a lot of talk lately about the recent change in the NFPA 211 about aftermarket parts and factory-built fireplaces. It now states: “If original manufacturer's listed components or accessories are unavailable, components or accessories acceptable to and installed by a qualified agency shall be installed in accordance with the component or accessory manufacturer’s installation instructions�.

Answer: In recent years it seems like there's been controversy about the installation of aftermarket parts. So does this recent change mean it's now okay to install aftermarket parts on factory built fireplaces?

Answer: Rather than just give a simple yes or no answer, let's look at things to consider.

It may seem simple. Original parts are no longer available.

Original parts were not durable or of high quality. It's also common that the homeowner can't afford to replace an entire fireplace system, but can easily manage the cost of let's say, an after-market cap. Aftermarket parts are available, and some are even high quality. There are many factors we need to be aware of before installing aftermarket parts on existing factory built fireplaces. We will take this opportunity to look at one example.

Before we do that it should be pointed out that the safe operation of a fireplace system is not determined by budget. Of course there are reasonable budget limitations and concerns, but the IRC and ICC codes, the NFPA 211, and manufacturers installation instructions, which are minimum standards and requirements, do not instruct or require us to accommodate the client's budget. In other words, if the client cannot afford what it takes to make a system suitable for safe operation, we shouldn't do something that falls short of the minimum requirements just because the client can't.

The first thing we will look at

August 2016

is the warning from all factory built fireplace manufacturers to use only their approved parts.

The wording is always clear, and sometimes formidable. The manufacturers will state that the warranty may be voided, that hazardous operating conditions or a risk of fire may be created, and some even warn of personal injury, loss of life or death. (See Picture A) Do those warnings mean that all aftermarket parts are bad or dangerous? Not necessarily.

What it does mean is that the manufacturers have tested their systems with their parts and components, or specifically approved products, like gas logs. So the manufacturers are only able to warranty and back their fireplaces, if tested and approved components are installed. It's similar to their warnings and disclaimers that require proper installation. If a fireplace is installed without the proper clearances, does that mean it will always cause a fire?

No. Does that mean the risk of a fire is now greater? Yes, more than likely. But it does mean that the fireplace is now being operated with clearances not tested by the manufacturer.

Let's look at a specific example of how an aftermarket part may affect the operation of a factory built fireplace. We'll use an easy-to-understand example of a cap/spark arrestor.

Brand A fireplace came with a standard round 8 inch inside diameter cap for its double wall air cooled chimney pipe. (See picture B). This cap is about 2 inches off of the chimney's 13 5" diameter outer pipe, when properly installed. Let's do

some simple math. The circumference of that pipe is approximately 42.5 inches. To find out the area opening of the air cooled space, we simply multiply the height times the circumference, or 2 times 42.5. This gives us 85 square inches of area that allows air to move freely. Free movement of this air is a part of what allows these chimney pipes to have minimum clearances to combustibles.

This cap has rusted and failed and a replacement is needed. A manufacturer’s cap is no longer available. There

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are aftermarket caps for factory-built fireplaces that are the tension fit type. The base of the inner pipe will slide into the chimney and hold the cap in place. The bases of these aftermarket caps usually have standoffs, to prevent blocking the air cooled space. A big difference between the original cap and a certain replacement, is that the replacement cap base is only 1.25” off of the outer pipe. If we do the same simple math, 1.25 times 42.5 we get an area opening of only 53 square inches.

Will reducing the

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S W E E P I N G

area opening of the air space outlet by 32 sq inches or approximately 38% have an effect on air flow and subsequently on the surface temperature of the outer pipe?

Before we answer that question, let's look at what we know about chimneys. Let's take the same fireplace we are talking about. It has an 8 inch inside diameter pipe with an area of approximately 50 square inches. Let's reduce it 38%.

That gives us a chimney with only 31 square inches. That's a little bit more than a 6 inch diameter pipe, a lot less than at 7� pipe. Will that fireplace still work if we put a 6 inch chimney on it? Probably not.

Using the same science and logic, we have to understand that reducing or obstructing the area opening of a pipe’s

air-cooled chamber outlet can reduce the flow or volume of air moving through it.

Do we know if this will or won't create a hazard? No. Has the fireplace manufacturer tested this after market cap to prove it for us? Has the cap manufacturer tested this cap on the specific fireplace? So we find ourselves in a position where our intention is good, but we are performing an installation that has not been tested buy a recognized lab. So in effect, we are now testing this cap on the client's system.

The NFPA describes a qualified agency as any individual, firm, corporation, or company that, either in person or through a representative, is engaged in and is responsible for the connection, venting,

installation, inspection, repair, or servicing of heatproducing appliances and who is experienced in such work, is familiar with all precautions required, and has complied with all the requirements of the AHJ. By definition, chimney service professionals are therefore usually "qualified".

But we should consider the installation of aftermarket parts very carefully. Are we qualified to make modifications to a system that is UL listed and tested, where the manufacturer of that system prohibits such modifications? I will use myself as an example, the owner operator of a small chimney service company. I have been working on chimneys and fireplaces for 20 years, and I have not performed any testing on factory-built fireplaces. For that reason, I don't find myself feeling qualified to modify these systems by installing aftermarket parts. I just don’t know what can happen.

The aftermarket cap installation is just one example. There are a variety of aftermarket components including log grates, refractory panels, and glass doors. If these types of aftermarket components vary from the manufacturer's originals, operation conditions can change. A log grate can change the heat signature in the fire box that may allow areas of the cabinet to overheat. Glass doors may change the way combustion and dilution air enter the fireplace, also resulting in overheating.

26 S W E E P I N G August 2016

Certain aftermarket refractory panels claim to radiate more heat into the room, or forward.

This could also change the heat signature and result in areas that may overheat.

Both the NFPA 211 definition of a qualified agency, and the CSIA's Aftermarket Parts Position require us to be in compliance with the AHJ. So in addition to everything else, when considering the installation of aftermarket parts, we must also get approval from the AHJ. And now in addition to these technical considerations, we have to look at the fireplace in question. How old is it? Is it installed in a development or neighborhood where we know there are fireplace installation deficiencies in other homes? Is there rust or other signs of long-term water entry? Is there evidence of misuse or other damage? All of these things should also factor into our decision to install an aftermarket part.

This brief narrative

is meant to be educational. It shows that the idea of installing aftermarket parts maybe sound, that our intentions may be good, but there is more to consider than just the recent change in the NFPA 211.

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August 2016

S W E E P I N G

Customer Lifetime Value or Why it Pays to Invest in New Customers

by Darin Bibeau President, National Chimney

D

o you view customer prospecting and business advertising as an expense? Many business owners do. But in fact, it could be a profitable investment.

Year 1

28 S W E E P I N G

50 new customers 40% retention rate $250 avg. sales/yr $12,500 in Revenue

Every business will be unique, but the basic way to calculate customer lifetime value comes from database marketing. Here’s a hypothetical example:

Year 2 Revenue 20 customers left 45% retention rate $250 avg. sales/yr $5,000 in Revenue

Year 3 9 customers left 50% retention rate $250 avg. sales/yr $2,250 in Revenue

Expenses 50% (cost percentage) $6,250 in Expense

50% (cost percentage)

50% (cost percentage)

$2,500 in Expense

$1,125 in Expense

Profit $6,250 Gross Profit 1% disc. rate (@6% int) $6,250 NPV $6,250 Cum NPV Profit $125 per customer

August 2016

$2,500 Gross Profit 1.06% disc. Rate

$1,125 Gross Profit 1.12% disc. rate

$2,358 NPV $8,608 Cum NPV Profit

$1,004 NPV $9,612 Cum NPV Profit

$172 per customer

$192 per customer

What the table shows are several things: Fifty new customers were brought on board in year 1. By year 3, nine were left. The profit per customer in year 1 was $125.

But for the group of remaining customers, the cumulative profit per customer had risen to $172 by the end of year 2. By the end of year 3, the company had a cumulative net profit of $192 per customer. (While interest rates are low, the discount rate for the net present value of a dollar is pretty insignificant—unless you’re leveraging large bank loans for customer acquisition.)

The implications are several: • The business could have spent up to $125 to convert/acquire each new customer and still break-even for the first year.

• Though customers drop off each year (they move, they die, their financial situations change, etc.), those who remain tend to have increasing retention rates—40 to 45 to 50 percent in this example. These loyal customers will continue to add profits year after year.

So review your database and select a sample of customers acquired 5 years ago. Then see how many are still on the books.

That will give you customer attrition and retention rates.

And you can then plug in the numbers, based on the table above, to calculate the lifetime value for your customers.

NPV calculation used: D=(1+i)n Discount Rate of 6% = yr1 at 1; yr2 at 1.06; yr3 at 1.12 divided into the gross profit.

• It could have spent up to $172 for each new customer in year 1 and still break-even, if a portion of those customers had stayed on the books in year 2.

• And the business could have spent up to $192 per customer, in the original customer set, in year 1, given the break-even after 3 years.

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• Freedom to integrate almost any fireplace design • Eliminates the need for glass doors • Enables chimney designs that defy traditional design rules

• Chimney is closed when the fireplace is not used • The draft is never excessive which saves fuel • Perfect operating conditions eliminate unnecessary emissions.

For more information on how to save money and make your fireplace safer, please visit www.chimneyfans.com or call 800.255.2923

August 2016

29 S W E E P I N G

Dates and

Events August 2016

30 S W E E P I N G

August 1-5, 2016 CSIA Installing and Troubleshooting Gas Appliances CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 5, 2016 NCSG Board of Directors Meeting CSIA Technology Center For more information, please contact Frances Kelly at fkelly@ncsg.org August 1-7, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 8–14, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 16, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Banquet & Conference Center of DeWitt – DeWitt, MI For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com August 15–21, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 15-20, 2016 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School

August 2016

CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 17, 2016 CSIA Board of Directors Meeting CSIA Technology Center For more information, please contact Frances Kelly at fkelly@csia.org August 18, 2016 Copperfield Reline Workshops Cabela’s – Hoffman Estate, IL For more information, please call (800) 256-1926 or visit www.copperfield.com August 19, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Richmond Airport Hotel, Richmond, VA For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 22–28, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org August 23-25, 2016 CVC 3-Day Gas Service Class Sponsored by Fireside Distributors Raleigh, NC For more information, please call stephaniem@ firesideamerica.com August 29 – September 4, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

September 2016 September 5-11, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 12–18, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 12-14, 2016 CSIA Masonry Repair for Chimney Professional Saver Systems Facility - Richmond, IN

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

31 S W E E P I N G August 2016

New

Members

REGION

REGION REGION

REGION

REGION REGION

REGION

REGION

1 1 24 24 35 35 6 NEW HAMPSHIRE

PENNSYLVANIA

KENTUCKY

TEXAS

INTERNATIONAL

Matt Racicot | Son’s Chimney | Milford

Leon Joseph Ochal | The Chimney Scientist | Conshohocken

Michael Darling | Hearth & Home of KY | Paducah

Beau Kidd | McSweepy’s | Crosby

Mark Wiles | Advanced Air Quality Inc. | Ottawa

NEW YORK

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

Joseph Coffey | Combustible Care | New York

Jim Ferguson | Ferguson’s Fireside Chimney Cleaning Inc. | Canton

Randy Howell | American Chimney & Masonry, Inc. | Norman

Bruce VanDerwarker | Canterbury Chimney Sweeps, Inc. | Rochester

INDIANA

Carter DeFrankeaux| Duxbury Chimney Sweep | Duxbury

32 S W E E P I N G August 2016

Nick Hansen | Excel Fireplace & Chimney | Peoria

REGION

MASSACHUSETTS

ILLNOIS

REGION

Wayne Tibbetts | Somerset Stone & Stove | Oakland

REGION

MAINE

REGION

REGION

44 5566 Robert S. Raia | Quality Fireplace & Chimney LLC Port Jefferson Station

Scott Horvath | O’Malia’s Living | Carmel

September 19-24, 2016 CSIA National Chimney Sweep Training School CSIA Technology Center- Plainfield, IN For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org September 26– October 2, 2016 CSIA (online) - Chimney Physics - CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Review - CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician Review - CSIA eLearning - Health & Safety Multi-User Courses - Lining Masonry Chimneys with Stainless Steel For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org

October 2016 October 3-9, 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 October 5-6, 2016 CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician® Workshop & Exams CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org October 7, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams CSIA Technology Center For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org October 8, 2016 CSIA Roadshow Sponsored by HouseMaster Home Inspections LLC - Basics of chimney and fireplace inspectionIntroduction to gas hearth appliances - Troubleshooting - Dryer exhaust system issues Marriott Providence Downtown - Providence, RI For more information, please call (732) 469-6565 or email joe.cummins@housemaster.com October 10-16, 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 October 14, 2016 CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Review & Exams Bestwestern Sovereign Hotel - Albany, NY For more information, please call (317) 837-5362 or visit www.CSIA.org October 17-23, 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 October 24-30, 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 October 31 – November 6, 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

33 S W E E P I N G August 2016

The State of Certification in the Chimney & Venting Industry Being “certified” as a professional can be a great benefit to your business, as it implies a certain dedication to achievement of both knowledge and skill. Many people take great pride in earning a certification, as they should.

However, in an unregulated industry, literally anyone can cobble together an “exam” and “certifying” those who pass—even if it comes with a fancy certificate and laminated ID badge.

Multiple certification providers with different sets of requirements and standards may make “certification” more easily attainable for those working in the industry, but it does so at the expense of homeowners and professionals who are unfamiliar with the industry, or have been led to believe that all certifications are created equal.

While we strongly value competition, we also value the education, hard-work, and commitment to improving the industry that the term “certification” inherently implies. Certification should represent more than just a marketing effort.

There are crucial differences between the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® credential offered by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and those offered elsewhere. Here are important questions to ask when considering your current or future certification: • Is my credential being provided by an accredited organization, that’s recognized and trusted nationally for its expertise?

• If potential customers search the internet or social media to learn more about my credential, what will they find?

• Is my credential being provided by a volunteer-led nonprofit organization focused on educating homeowners and advancing the industry —or a profit-seeking business providing a “cheap” alternative that's much easier to acquire?

• Will the organization providing my credential actively promote the credential to homeowners nationwide through print, digital, and social media advertising?

• Is my certification dependent on me keeping my skills sharp and keeping pace with the industry through continuing education—or will it just be a one-and-done exam offering no additional education opportunities?

• Does certification require me to agree to a professional code of ethics, increasing consumer confidence in my business?

• Does the organization providing my credential generate tens of thousands of high-quality leads for its credential holders each year?

• Is my certification recognized and trusted by affiliated industries, such as home inspectors and HVAC professionals?

• Learn the answer to these questions and more at www.csia.org/certification.

© 2 0 1 6 C h i m n e y S a f e t y I n s t i t u t e o f A m e r i c a | w w w. c s i a . o rg

CSIA UPDATE August 2016 Report

www.CSIA.org

Get to Know Your CSIA Board: Chuck Roydhouse - Treasurer Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland How Chuck got his start: “A co-worker I worked with in the Fire Department liked how I ran my landscape company and asked if I would partner with him to grow his one man chimney company. We worked together for a year and then he left to pursue his Fire Department career which left me with the entire business.”

Why CSIA Certification is Important: “CSIA Certification provides both the client and our Lead Technicians with a well tenured nationally recognized industry standard to assess and solve chimney and venting issues based on national codes and standards. CSIA Certifications in both chimneys and dryer vents give our Technicians the confidence to perform their duties , and the return on the certification investment is thousands fold.”

About Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County: “We have been in business in central Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington DC, since 1978. I have been running the operation since 1991.”

Where will Chuck be in 15 years: “In 15 years I see myself as a business management consultant while still actively supporting CSIA in some form or fashion. I do not ever think I could retire, I love to work.”

Best Piece of Advice Chuck has received: “The best piece of advice ever given to me was from my mother and I use it as my favorite quote: “Know many, trust few , always paddle your own canoe”. My father always instilled that I must be a leader and never a follower.”

A few more words from Chuck: “One of the best decisions I ever made was to get involved with CSIA through committee work and then having the honor of being asked

by Mark Stoner to be part of his Board. This work is

enlightening and rewarding and I am grateful to be part of something so important to our industry. I must thank both Chuck Hall and Jerry Isenhour for pushing me out from under my rock.“

Newly Certified C-DET Connecticut

Michigan

Chad Mead | Safety King | Utica\

Kristopher Pereira | Advanced Chimney Solutions | Prospect

Christopher Sullivan | Safety King | Utica

Anthony Francis | Safety King | Utica

Chris Clave | Safety King | Utica

Ryan Compau | Safety King | Utica

Florida

Eric Plaunt | Safety King | Utica

Tyler Grose | Safety King | Utica

Brian Panico | Manasota Duct Works | Brandenton

Nick Troy | Safety King | Utica ADVERTISEMENT

August 2016 Report

Newly Certified Chimney Sweeps Arkansas

Minnesota

Jeremy Hinrichs | Ozark Fireplace | Gassville

Michael Norvil | Able Chimney Sweeps | Saint Paul

Colorado

Missouri

Ehron Drapeau | Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep | Colroado Springs

Jesse Wright | Wright American Hearth | Carthage

Stephen Drapeau | Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep | Colorado Springs

Joshua Simmons | Dr. Soot Chimney Sweep | Sunrise Beach

Connecticut

New Hampshire

Jon Malone | Safeside Chimney & Duct | Wethersfield

Jed Kelley | A Merrie Sweepe Chimney Service | Greenland

Jamie Warner | 3G Chimney | Torrington Florida Buck Owens | Jay Walker Enterprises | Tallahassee Georgia Spencer Brock | Swept Away Chimney | Acworth Iowa Seth Hoover | Copperfield Chimney Supply | Fairfield Kentucky Brandon Trusty | Apex Chimney Sweeps | Nancy Maine Wayne Tibbetts | Somerset Stone & Stove | Oakland Maryland Vincent Raymond Decrisi | Chimney Tek | Pasadena Elijah Walling | MCP Chimney & Masonry | Damascus

New Jersey Ryan Kuhn | HouseMaster | Martinsville

Thomas Golden | Above All Chimney & Masonry | Feasterville Daniel Osherow | Alliance Chimney & Energy | Ardmore Eric Hartman | Chester County Hearth & Home | Elverson Timothy Godshall | Jamison Chimney Services | Oreland South Dakota Scott Granville | Chimney Swift | Pierre Utah Bryce Murray | Mad Hatter Chimney Sweep | Park City

Scott Osgood | McPuff Chimney Service | Branchburg

Virginia

New Mexico

Samuel Moore | Rooftop Chimney Sweeps | Alexandria

Anthony Contreras | Bailey’s Chimney Cleaning & Repair | Taos New York

Philip Savage | Magic Sweep Corp | Chesapeake

Daniel Cogan | Rooftop Chimney Sweeps | Alexandria

Robert Witter, III | Townly Coal | Geneva

Kenny Shillingburg | Prouty’s Chimney Sweep | Leesburg

Jorge Flores | Saratoga Chimney Sweep | Wilton

Gerald Smith | Magic Sweep Corp | Chesapeake

North Carolina

West Virgina

Rene Uhalde | Homestead Chimney Sweep | Sylva

Ryan Adams| Sunfire Energy Solutions | Martinsburg

Ohio

Kenneth Courtney | Sunfire Energy Solutions | Martinsburg

Jack Burns | Rhino Chimney Service | Mt. Vernon Pennsylvania

Massachusetts

Matthew Thomas | Thomas’ Chimney & Stoves | Kingsly

Scott Hunt | Affordable Chimney Sweeps | Peabody

Nick Karras | Alliance Chimney and Energy | Ardmore

Michael Vandeveaner | Sunfire Energy Solutions | Martinsburg Wisconsin Geoff Trudeau | Ramirez Restoration | Milwaukee Peter Webster | The Fire Place Ltd | Milwaukee

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

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www.CSIA.org

Masonry Repairs for Chimney Professionals September 12 - 14 | SaverSystems | 12 CEUs An intensive class combining a short period of classroom theory followed by hands-on projects. Students will learn how to mix mortar and how to lay brick as well as learning joint finishing, tools of the trade, and all aspects of chimney repair.

Location: SaverSystems 800 S 7th St, Richmond, Indiana 47374

CSIA ON-SITE EDUCATION National Chimney Sweep Training School August 15-20 | Plainfield, IN [CSIA Technology Center] September 19-24| Plainfield, IN [CSIA Technology Center]

Mailing Address

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.

2155 Commercial Drive

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

Plainfield, IN 46168

CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician

Telephone

October 5-6| Plainfield, IN [CSIA Technology Center]

(317) 837-5362

The Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (CDET) in-person review workshop has been designed with learning in mind. Our instructors will cover tools, performance testing and repairs for residential systems. The extended content for this two-day session includes a new focus on commercial systems as well as installation and routing demonstrations at the CSIA Technology Center.

Contact Us:

Email: Office@CSIA.org Twitter: @Chimney_Safety Facebook: /ChimneySafety

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Around the

D.C. T Darcy Marlett Editor

38 S W E E P I N G August 2016

his month’s Around the Tech Center I am sharing photos from my trip to Washington DC for the HPBA Government Affairs Academy (GAA). During GAA we learned from lobbyists and other public affairs professionals about effective media campaigns, grass roots campaigns, and lobbying for our industry. Our final

day we spent lobbying with congressional staff on Capital Hill. My group (including CSIA Board Member Eric Adair) met with congressional staff from California and Indiana to talk about our industry and lobby for support for upcoming legislation such as wood stove tax credits, bio fuel credits, and Wood Stove Changeout funding.

Classifieds

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.

Seeking CSIA Certified sweep as business partner/ eventual owner of profitable 35+ year chimney business on Cape Cod, MA. Contact owner at 508540-0458.

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.

39 S W E E P I N G August 2016

Darwin

Award

This one is all too common. Saw it on a drive by. The best part is there is a chimney four feet away. (Although I believe it is for a furnace in the basement based on the location and age of the house) -Mark Chesapeake Chimney & Co. Prince Frederick, Md. Have you snapped a photo of a peculiar chimney in your area that made you shake your head in disbelief?

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

Ad Index

40 S W E E P I N G

Ahrens Chimney Technique

800-843-4417

ahrenschimney@qwestoffice.net

26

Chim Cap Corp

800-262-9622

www.chimcapcorp.com

10

Copperfield

800-247-3305 www.copperfield.com

CVC Coaching

704-425-0217

ENERVEX

770-587-3238 www.chimneyfans.com

29

Fireside Distributors

866-800-3473

www.FiresideAmerica.com

16

Firesafe Industries, Inc.

800-545-6607

www.firesafeinc.com

17

ICP

508-695-7000 www.chimneycaps.com

11

Lindemann Chimney Company

866-629-8006

www.lindemannsupply.com

15

National Chimney

800-897-8481

www.nationalchimney.com

13

New England Chimney Supply

888-900-8106

www.newenglandchimneysupply.com

9

Olympia Chimney Supply

800-569-1425

www.olympiachimney.com

7

Sand Hill Wholesale & Mfg., Inc

800-258-5496

www.sandhillwholesale.com

4

SaverSystems, Inc

800-860-6327

www.saversystems.com

8

Ventech Industries

207-439-0069

info@ventechindustries.com

27

WeatherTite Inc.

800-711-9672

www.weathertiteinc.com

25

August 2016

5

www.cvccoaching.com 31

YOUR NAME:

Moving firewood can spread tree-killing insects and diseases.

National Chimney Sweep Guild 2155 Commercial Drive Plainfield, IN 46168

1408

www.ncsgconvention.org