I believe that any job worth doing is worth doing right. I didn’t know everything I know now when I first started my business. I know I’ve grown over the years, learned more through daily experience, and made sure to keep up with my education. Too many people believe that you are finished with school when you receive a degree or certification. I don’t believe that at all. Things change every single day and I feel that we need to stay up to date on all things that involve the chimney service.

I am proud to say that my brother joined the company earlier this year and my wife officially joined us shortly after. My brother is CSIA Certified (Chimney Safety Institute of America) and C-DET Certified (Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician), and he will be pursuing more certifications and continued education goals as I do. My wife takes care of many aspects of the business side of things, such as scheduling, billing, answering the phone, and replying to emails.

Which brings me back to the original purpose of this blog post – continued education…

The CSIA, according to their own website, is a nonprofit educational organization existing to provide chimney and venting safety resources to those in the industry and to you, the homeowner. Anyone can learn from the CSIA and pursue the certifications that go along with it. I understand that the average homeowner isn’t going to take the initiative to participate in classes and take a proctored exam simply to clean their own chimney. But the CSIA does offer homeowners a plethora of information that does not require passing an exam or achieving a certification.

They offer ongoing education for all CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps and C-DET Technicians. Our credentials have to be renewed each year in order to maintain our membership with the CSIA. We appreciate this, because it allows us to prove on paper that we have taken, passed, and maintained our CSIA membership for years.

I’m extremely proud of the certifications and level of education you’ll encounter here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service. I am also a F.I.R.E. Certified Technician and a Registered Hearth Advisor. A little more than 200 people in the United States (the entire country) have obtained this certification. I do feel that this sets me apart from other Chimney Sweeps.

I’m certified through the National Fireplace Institute as well. They are considered the gold standard in training in the hearth industry. I am a Master Hearth Professional – the highest level of certification in the hearth industry.

I indicated early in this post that there was a rule for ongoing education in the chimney services field. There’s not necessarily a rule per se, but that brings me to the next certification that I’ve earned through persistent and extensive continued education. The IAFCI (International Association of Fireplace and Chimney Inspectors) Certification requires extensive continued education efforts on an annual basis. Very few people have obtained this certification, and I can proudly say I am one.

Don’t trust just any chimney sweep with your chimney services. Lou Curley Chimney Service is located in Drexel Hill and we provide all types of chimney services throughout the Main Line. Call us at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a consultation.