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 Bedford Team Behind Hearthstone Chimney Co.
Our Bedford crew is the same group that shows up year after year. We’ve swept flues in Katonah, rebuilt crowns in Pound Ridge, and pulled raccoon nests from chimneys in Armonk at 6 a.m. What ties us together is simple: we were all hired because we’d already been fixing things for a living, and we stay because Russell Haines runs this shop like a trades floor, not a call center. Nobody here is figuring it out as they go.
Our People
Russell Haines, Owner
I started Hearthstone Chimney Co. in 1984, which means I’ve seen what forty-two years of freeze-thaw cycles do to Bedford’s brickwork. I still climb ladders when the job calls for it, though these days I spend more time reviewing camera footage and making sure our estimates match what we actually find up there. My rule is straightforward: if I wouldn’t sign off on it in my own house, we don’t hand it to a customer. I keep a 1978 Craftsman wrench in my truck that I inherited from my father-in-law. It doesn’t fit anything we install anymore, but it reminds me that tools don’t do the work; the hand holding them does.
Marcus T., Lead Technician
Marcus has been with us since 2011, and he’s the one we send when a chimney has multiple issues and the homeowner needs to know what’s urgent versus what can wait until next season. He’s CSIA-certified and specializes in Level-2 internal inspections, the kind that require dropping a camera the full length of the flue and documenting every crack, glaze, and gap. Marcus grew up in Mount Kisco and still lives there with his two kids. He has a habit of sketching chimney cross-sections on the back of our invoice pads when he’s explaining creosote buildup to homeowners. The drawings are surprisingly good.
Elena R., Senior Installer
Elena handles our liner replacements and rebuilds, the heavy-lifting jobs that other crews subcontract out. She trained on commercial boiler systems before moving to residential chimney work, which means she’s comfortable in tight spaces and doesn’t rush the mortar cure. She’s certified in HeatShield application and DuraFlex liner installation, and she’s particular about flashing details because she’s seen too many “finished” jobs that leaked inside two winters. Elena commutes from Norwalk, but she knows Bedford’s building codes better than some local inspectors. On her days off she restores vintage motorcycles, a hobby that has made her unusually patient with seized bolts and rusted fasteners.
Dave P., Service Coordinator
Dave answers the phone when you call (914) 409-9387, and he’s the one who makes sure Marcus or Elena shows up when we said they would. He’s been with Hearthstone since 2016, and before that he dispatched for a plumbing outfit in White Plains, so he knows how to triage calls without making the customer feel rushed. Dave keeps a whiteboard behind his desk with every active job, color-coded by status. He also maintains our parts inventory, which means when Elena needs a specific Gelco cap or a Copperfield damper, it’s already on the shelf. Dave is the reason we can say most jobs finish in a single visit. He lives in Bedford Hills and coaches Little League in the spring, which is how he ended up sweeping the chimney for our local fire chief.
Jake K., Apprentice
Jake joined us in 2023 after two years in general construction. He’s learning the trade from the ground up, literally, starting with sweep work and cap installations while he studies for his CSIA certification. Russell Haines paired him with Marcus, which means Jake’s getting trained by someone who treats documentation as seriously as the physical work. He’s already competent with our camera system and can spot the difference between stage-one and stage-three creosote without prompting. Jake grew up in Armonk and worked summers cutting grass for the same Bedford estates whose chimneys he now services. He has a persistent cough from a dust allergy that he refuses to complain about, which the rest of the crew finds both admirable and slightly irritating.
One Standard, Every Job
The Bedford team works under the same Keystone Standard that governs every Hearthstone Chimney Co. location. That means the 90-Day Done Right Promise applies whether we’re doing an $89 seasonal tune-up in Bedford Hills or a full liner replacement in Greenwich. Every technician is background-checked and uniformed. Every estimate is itemized upfront. Every Level-2 inspection ends with photos you can see and a plain-English verdict on what needs attention now, what can wait, and what we honestly can’t determine without opening something up.
We don’t chase volume. We’ve been in this market since 1984, and we plan to be here in thirty more years, which means we act accordingly. No shortcuts on materials, no phantom charges, no pushing work that doesn’t need doing. When you call (914) 409-9387, you’ll reach Dave or another live person, not a queue or a callback app. We’ll be there when we say. Done right, and we stand behind it.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Bedford since 1984.