Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterMeet the Framingham Team Behind Top Hat Chimney
Here’s the thing about chimney work: the guy who shows up at your door matters as much as the tools in his truck. Wendell has spent 29 years building a crew the same way he builds a chimney-slow, careful, and with people he’d trust in his own house. No subcontractors. No rotating cast of strangers. Just licensed, insured, background-checked locals who know Framingham’s old chimneys because they’ve spent years inside them. You’ll get a real arrival window, a real name, and a phone number answered by a human being, around the clock.
Our People
Wendell Pike, Owner and Lead Technician
Wendell founded Top Hat Chimney in 1999 after spending his twenties apprenticing with masonry crews across Middlesex County. He still runs jobs personally, often the first one through the door on a rebuild or a tricky liner install. Wendell holds certifications with the Chimney Safety Institute of America and has worked on thousands of flues from Natick to Marlborough. He’s the one who put the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing, because he’d rather stand behind his work than argue about it. On Saturdays, you’ll find him at the Ashland Farmers Market, usually talking to someone whose neighbor he swept for.
Mike D., Senior Installer
Mike has been with Top Hat for 17 years, which means he’s seen just about every chimney failure a New England winter can produce. He specializes in HeatShield and DuraFlex liner systems and handles most of the rebuild framing across MetroWest. Mike is our in-house expert on third-degree creosote glaze-he’s the person who’ll tell you plainly whether you need a chemical treatment or a full reline, and he’ll show you the camera footage either way. He’s a Worcester native and a certified CSIA chimney sweep. Off the clock, Mike rebuilds vintage motorcycles in his garage, which is why the truck usually smells faintly of motor oil and good decisions.
Sarah T., Service Coordinator
Sarah is the voice on the other end of (781) 390-9211, and she’s been answering that phone for eight years. She keeps the schedule running, makes sure every customer gets a real arrival window, and calls immediately if the truck is running behind. Before Top Hat, Sarah worked in property management in Framingham, so she understands the pressure of coordinating work across multiple units and landlords. She knows the local streets well enough to warn you about the Union Avenue rotary at 4 p.m. If you call at midnight with a smoky fireplace and a panicked tone, you’ll get Sarah-or Wendell himself, if he’s not under a chimney somewhere.
Andrew B., Apprentice
Andrew joined the crew two years ago after graduating from Keefe Tech, and he’s been logging hours on inspections, basic sweeps, and cap installs ever since. He’s working toward his CSIA certification under Wendell and Mike’s supervision, and he already has a reputation for fitting into fireboxes that everyone else struggles with-which is a nicer way of saying he’s still flexible and occasionally too willing. Andrew grew up on the north side of Framingham and has family in Saxonville, so he’s genuinely local in a way that most companies can’t claim. He’s also the reason we keep a case of seltzer water in the truck, because he refuses to drink coffee, which the rest of us find suspicious.
One Standard, Every Job
Four people, one rule: leave the chimney better than we found it, and leave the customer able to see exactly what was done. Every job-sweep, liner, rebuild, crown repair-gets camera inspection footage and a plain-English explanation before anyone starts writing numbers. Upfront pricing means the quote you hear is the invoice you pay. No surprises, no pressure. If something wasn’t done right, Wendell comes back within 90 days, no argument and no additional charge. That standard is the reason people in Framingham, Natick, Sudbury, and Wellesley keep our number taped to the fridge. Ask anyone on your street-they’ll know who we are, and they’ll probably tell you about Mike’s motorcycle too. Call (781) 390-9211 and Sarah or Wendell will answer, day or night.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Framingham since 1999.