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 Rye Team Behind Top Hat Chimney
Top Hat Chimney has been cleaning and repairing chimneys in Rye since 1999, and the crew who shows up at your door is the same crew you’ll run into at the hardware store on Saturday. Wendell Pike built this company on a simple idea: hire people who’d treat your house like their own, then stand behind their work. The four people below are the ones who answer the call, climb the roof, and make sure your flue breathes right before the first fire of the season. They’re local, they’re trained, and they don’t leave a job until it’s done right.
Our People
Mike T. - Lead Technician
Mike has been with Top Hat Chimney for fourteen years, and he’s the guy Wendell sends when a chimney has a problem that isn’t obvious from the ground. He started sweeping chimneys in Westchester right out of trade school and has worked on everything from 1920s Rye colonials to new construction up in Harrison. Mike is the crew’s HeatShield specialist, certified to install the brand’s resurfacing system, and he’s spent more hours behind a rotary chimney whip than anyone else at the company. Off the clock, you’ll find him restoring a 1967 Mustang in his garage on the Port Chester line. He says working on old cars and old chimneys is the same job: figure out what’s worn out, fix it, and don’t paper over the problem.
Chris R. - Senior Installer
Chris joined Top Hat in 2011 after six years framing houses, which means he understands how a chimney actually ties into the structure around it. He handles most of the company’s chimney cap and crown installations, plus full liner jobs using DuraFlex and Copperfield products. Chris is the crew’s stainless-steel liner specialist and holds manufacturer certifications from both brands. He grew up in Mamaroneck and still lives there with his wife and two kids. If a job requires a 40-foot ladder or a harness on a steep Rye roof, Chris is the one up there. He’s methodical about flashing and waterproofing, because he’s the one who gets the call if water sneaks in later. It doesn’t.
Sarah M. - Service Coordinator
Sarah is the voice you hear when you call (914) 685-6096, and she has been answering Top Hat’s phones for nine years. Before that, she ran the front desk at a plumbing company in New Rochelle, so she knows the difference between a real chimney emergency and a job that can wait for the next open morning. Sarah schedules every appointment, keeps the technician schedules straight, and makes sure you get a real arrival window, not a four-hour “sometime between noon and whenever.” Her husband served in the Coast Guard, which is part of why she’s so careful about honoring the company’s standing 10% discount for veterans. She lives in Rye and walks to the office most days.
Danny L. - Apprentice Technician
Danny is the newest member of the crew, finishing his second full season with Top Hat Chimney. He came to the trade through the BOCES construction program and spends most days learning from Mike and Chris, running brushes, carrying gear, and getting comfortable working on Rye roofs in every kind of weather. He’s already passed his first creosote removal certification and is working toward his liner installation credential. Danny grew up in Rye and graduated from Rye High School, and half the homes on his parents’ street have been on our schedule at some point. His grandfather was a mason, so brickwork runs in the family. Wendell likes to say Danny is proof the chimney trade isn’t going anywhere.
One Standard, Every Job
Every member of this crew has the same instructions: do the work as if Wendell is standing behind you, because he is. That means every job gets the camera inspection, the plain-English explanation of what was found, and the upfront price before a single tool comes off the truck. No one on this team will recommend a liner or a rebuild they can’t show you on camera footage. Every completed job carries the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing, and if something isn’t right, one call brings the same crew back at no charge. Wendell has been running Top Hat Chimney in Rye for over 29 years, and the people above are the reason he’s still the one who picks up the phone when you call. Ask anyone on your street. They’ll tell you the same thing.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Rye since 1999.