Calling all Chimney Sweeps

[SpaceBus]

I joined the army at 17 and I was medically retired a few years ago. I started working at a parts warehouse as a shipping and receiving manager, but my wife needed me at home, so I took a sabbatical. Jan 2018 I started school for automotive since cars have always been a passion for me. I wasn't able to get into school for the fall semester because we moved and our closing took three months longer than it was supposed to. No big deal I thought, I'll start school in Jan 2019. Surprise, they aren't offering any of the classes I wanted to take for this upcoming semester. Soon I'll be starting a part time job to hold me over until fall when I can get back into school. The plan is to take every trade class I can while the GI Bill is paying for it. After joining this forum, I have given thought to becoming a chimney sweep.

Could any sweeps on this forum tell me about your experiences? Are any of you business owners, or do you work for a company? I read about the CSIA certification, but I'd have to do it online. There are no sweeps within an hour of where I live, and at least 40% of the people living here use wood heat, so I've read anyway. Of course the job is more than cleaning chimneys, so I would love to hear more about the job. I retired as a Staff Sergeant and I don't want to have a job where a boss or supervisor is breathing down my neck. However, I know this might be a high expectation as a person entering any job field at the entry level. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with my life yet. Unfortunately my job in the Army doesn't translate well to civilian life. That's not to say I'm maladjusted or can't deal with civilian life, I just don't have any skills aside from working on cars, which I learned how to do outside of the army anyway.

I apologize for the rambling, I'm just a bit lost in the sauce.

 

[jatoxico]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/chimney-cleaning-info.151249/

This thread may be of use.

 

[SpaceBus]

Just tried to contact some folks in what appears to be the Maine sweep guild. All of the sweeps are on vacation or out in the field. Like everything in Maine, this will probably take a while!

 

[SpaceBus]

Has anyone taken the CSIA courses online? I'm only finding one physical location for classes and testing and it's in Indianapolis. I would love to apprentice with a local sweep, but there are none, which is why I'm looking into becoming a sweep.

 

[SpaceBus]

What is the concensus on CCP certifications? Are any of the chimney sweep hearth members certified through CCP? The process seems much less complicated and expensive compared to CSIA, especially given my location. Going by the thread linked above and reading elsewhere on the internet becoming a chimney sweep seems to be a great way for someone to start a business with relatively low startup costs.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I joined the army at 17 and I was medically retired a few years ago. I started working at a parts warehouse as a shipping and receiving manager, but my wife needed me at home, so I took a sabbatical. Jan 2018 I started school for automotive since cars have always been a passion for me. I wasn't able to get into school for the fall semester because we moved and our closing took three months longer than it was supposed to. No big deal I thought, I'll start school in Jan 2019. Surprise, they aren't offering any of the classes I wanted to take for this upcoming semester. Soon I'll be starting a part time job to hold me over until fall when I can get back into school. The plan is to take every trade class I can while the GI Bill is paying for it. After joining this forum, I have given thought to becoming a chimney sweep.

Could any sweeps on this forum tell me about your experiences? Are any of you business owners, or do you work for a company? I read about the CSIA certification, but I'd have to do it online. There are no sweeps within an hour of where I live, and at least 40% of the people living here use wood heat, so I've read anyway. Of course the job is more than cleaning chimneys, so I would love to hear more about the job. I retired as a Staff Sergeant and I don't want to have a job where a boss or supervisor is breathing down my neck. However, I know this might be a high expectation as a person entering any job field at the entry level. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with my life yet. Unfortunately my job in the Army doesn't translate well to civilian life. That's not to say I'm maladjusted or can't deal with civilian life, I just don't have any skills aside from working on cars, which I learned how to do outside of the army anyway.

I apologize for the rambling, I'm just a bit lost in the sauce.

Hey SB, good luck with your transition.

I know how you feel about not wanting a boss, but keep in mind you'll still have a boss at every job- The Customer. It is after all a service profession. Think hard about this aspect before proceeding.

There are a number of sweeps here who seem like fine gentleman, kind and straight talking. I'm sure if you struck up private message conversations with them, you'd have a virtual mentor or two in no time.

I'd also make sure you are comfortable with heights. I have done all my own chimney work, but I am terrified every time I get up there.

Seriously, good luck figuring things out. These can be trying times. And, please keep us posted.

 

[SpaceBus]

Hey SB, good luck with your transition.

I know how you feel about not wanting a boss, but keep in mind you'll still have a boss at every job- The Customer. It is after all a service profession. Think hard about this aspect before proceeding.

There are a number of sweeps here who seem like fine gentleman, kind and straight talking. I'm sure if you struck up private message conversations with them, you'd have a virtual mentor or two in no time.

I'd also make sure you are comfortable with heights. I have done all my own chimney work, but I am terrified every time I get up there.

Seriously, good luck figuring things out. These can be trying times. And, please keep us posted.

True, the customer is always the boss. Right after I got out I had that parts warehouse job. Four different people were my boss, like Office Space, and it wasn't very fun. Of course in the military it was more of the same, but at least there was a rigid structure. A one on one interaction with a customer is much more reasonable and more of what I'm good at anyway. With one person calling the shots, the customer, there can't be any question about what's going to happen. Certainly some customers are not as easy to deal with, but that's the nature of the beast.

My wife used to work night shift, she's a nurse, so I worked night shift for six months until I got into school. That night shift was at a fine dining establishment that I'm sure everyone knows, Waffle House. I feel like it would be nigh impossible to have any worse customer experiences than I endured as a Waffle House cook working Thursday through Sunday nights. I have to say that will probably always be the weirdest place I've ever worked.

Heights are no problem for me, I spent six years jumping out of planes, so a roof top isn't so bad.

 

[SpaceBus]

I never realized how many people were afraid of heights until I joined this forum!

 

[bholler]

I never realized how many people were afraid of heights until I joined this forum!

Yeah you cant be afraid of heights for sure. But you also have to have a respect for the dangers. I spend as little time as i can on a roof. Rotary cleaning has really changed things. I have much less risk than i did a few years ago before we switched over.

As far as cpp vs csia cpp is very new. It has not gained much respect yet. But we will be getting certified through them this winter mainly just to help out marshal by adding 2 more master sweeps to his numbers. My father was csia certified early on and i was for years as well. But we have let them lapse. For us it really didnt benifit us much at all. In some areas the certifications are almost nessecary. But starting off i think you need to get certified. But i think the most educational thing for you would be guild workshops. I know ny and pa do them yearly. But i am sure others do as well.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

True, the customer is always the boss. Right after I got out I had that parts warehouse job. Four different people were my boss, like Office Space, and it wasn't very fun. Of course in the military it was more of the same, but at least there was a rigid structure. A one on one interaction with a customer is much more reasonable and more of what I'm good at anyway. With one person calling the shots, the customer, there can't be any question about what's going to happen. Certainly some customers are not as easy to deal with, but that's the nature of the beast.

My wife used to work night shift, she's a nurse, so I worked night shift for six months until I got into school. That night shift was at a fine dining establishment that I'm sure everyone knows, Waffle House. I feel like it would be nigh impossible to have any worse customer experiences than I endured as a Waffle House cook working Thursday through Sunday nights. I have to say that will probably always be the weirdest place I've ever worked.

Heights are no problem for me, I spent six years jumping out of planes, so a roof top isn't so bad.

Great! Sounds like you have thought all of it through. Jumping out of planes!

You are spot on about corporate work and multiple bosses. I'm pretty sure my ticker has fewer years left on it due to this. You are smart to realize this at the beginning rather than the end.

One of the sweeps I mentioned has weighed in. He has helped me personally several times when I got into situations where I got real nervous, and based on reading hundreds of his posts, I trust his advice completely.

 

[SpaceBus]

Yeah you cant be afraid of heights for sure. But you also have to have a respect for the dangers. I spend as little time as i can on a roof. Rotary cleaning has really changed things. I have much less risk than i did a few years ago before we switched over.

As far as cpp vs csia cpp is very new. It has not gained much respect yet. But we will be getting certified through them this winter mainly just to help out marshal by adding 2 more master sweeps to his numbers. My father was csia certified early on and i was for years as well. But we have let them lapse. For us it really didnt benifit us much at all. In some areas the certifications are almost nessecary. But starting off i think you need to get certified. But i think the most educational thing for you would be guild workshops. I know ny and pa do them yearly. But i am sure others do as well.

I appreciate the advice about the certs. I even sent Marshall an email and he recommended some Facebook groups. My fear response is a little broken so I will definitely keep in mind to respect the dangers. The rotary brushes do seem like an amazing tool. I'm hoping to find some used tools and buy new after I'm established. This will take me a while since we spent a lot of money on the house and moving up here. Initially I'd like to do sweeping more on a part time basis while I finish using my GI Bill benefits.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm not a sweep, but I work with several guys who do this on the side.

From what I've seen (or rather heard) there is a need, but around here it is very cyclical . . . come Fall they're as busy as they want to be. Spring and Summer tend to be pretty slow. How busy they are also depends on what they end up doing -- some just want to sweep while others will also do chimney and chimney liner installations.

 

[SpaceBus]

I'm not a sweep, but I work with several guys who do this on the side.

From what I've seen (or rather heard) there is a need, but around here it is very cyclical . . . come Fall they're as busy as they want to be. Spring and Summer tend to be pretty slow. How busy they are also depends on what they end up doing -- some just want to sweep while others will also do chimney and chimney liner installations.

Yeah, it's definitely a seasonal job. I plan on taking carpentry, welding, automotive, and diesel along with small engines if I have enough time. This way I can have summer and winter work.

 

[bholler]

Yeah, it's definitely a seasonal job. I plan on taking carpentry, welding, automotive, and diesel along with small engines if I have enough time. This way I can have summer and winter work.

It doesnt have to be seasonal. It will take time and learning to do liners installs and masonry work but it can easily keep you busy year round.

 

[PaulOinMA]

I never realized how many people were afraid of heights until I joined this forum!

Never was until I almost fell off a 2-story roof.

I was always up on my parents roof as a kid. Things like cleaning 1960s raised ranch wooden gutters and coating the inside with the tar-like material that had to be done.

 

[SpaceBus]

It doesnt have to be seasonal. It will take time and learning to do liners installs and masonry work but it can easily keep you busy year round.

True! I plan on starting out sweeping and gaining experience there before jumping into liners and masonry work. I'll practice with my own liner install.

 

[xterra]

going to leave a 180 degree comment here... not to discourage you in any way but in case no one ever explained your options leaving the service.

have you considered hitting up USAjobs.gov and going with a domestic agency? Your experience in operations can be used pretty much anywhere so don't write that off. anything else needed of you will be taught to you. Assuming you could climb on a roof as a sweep you can do a lot regardless of the 'military disability.'

military experience may replace/waive certain college credits. see USAjobs for specifics based on each open position.
training academy is paid for. any move may be paid for if you have to relocate.
"buy back" your military time and have a solid retirement package.

 

[SpaceBus]

going to leave a 180 degree comment here... not to discourage you in any way but in case no one ever explained your options leaving the service.

have you considered hitting up USAjobs.gov and going with a domestic agency? Your experience in operations can be used pretty much anywhere so don't write that off. anything else needed of you will be taught to you. Assuming you could climb on a roof as a sweep you can do a lot regardless of the 'military disability.'

military experience may replace/waive certain college credits. see USAjobs for specifics based on each open position.
training academy is paid for. any move may be paid for if you have to relocate.
"buy back" your military time and have a solid retirement package.

Trust me, between my Care Coalition liason, wounded warriors, the seemingly thousands of exit briefings, and my parents (mom is prior service, dad is active duty still) I am fully aware of my options, I am simply choosing to live this way. I live in an extremely rural area, intentionally, with about 4,000 people in the entire county. Trades are very much needed in this region and I get to do the things I enjoy doing. Working for any form of government agency or being a government contractor holds no appeal. I'm not trying to get rich, I just want to live comfortably in the forest. I could go to the majority of the universities in this country. There's even a undergrad and graduate school very close by. Sure, my GI Bill benefits would be better put to use at the local university, but I'd rather go to the community college and get paid to learn how to do my hobbies better.