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 Northampton Team Behind Top Hat Chimney
Top Hat Chimney has been running out of Northampton since 1999, and the crew that shows up at your door is the same one you’ll run into at the grocery store on Saturday. No subcontractors. No rotating cast of strangers. Just local people who know the difference between a draft issue on Main Street and a draft issue up in Pennsville, because they’ve worked both a hundred times. Wendell Pike built this company on a simple idea: do the job right, explain it plainly, and stand behind it. Every person below was hired with that in mind.
Our People
Wendell Pike, Owner & Lead Chimney Sweep
Wendell founded Top Hat Chimney in 1999 after spending years working on chimneys across the Lehigh Valley and seeing too many homeowners get talked into work they didn’t need. He’s the guy who still climbs roofs most weeks, runs the camera into flues himself, and answers the phone when he’s not up a ladder. Wendell is CSIA-certified and has installed or serviced products from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Olympia Chimney, and Copperfield for over two decades. His rule is simple: if it doesn’t need fixing, he’ll tell you before you ask. If it does, he’ll show you the footage and explain it until you understand it. Ask anyone on your street about Top Hat. They probably know Wendell by first name.
Mike Deluca, Senior Installer & Repair Lead
Mike has been with Top Hat for 18 years and handles most of the liner installations, crown rebuilds, and the repair work that requires more than a brush. He’s the one Wendell trusts to measure, fit, and finish a stainless liner to the inch. Mike is certified in HeatShield resurfacing and has installed hundreds of DuraFlex liners in homes from Catasauqua to Whitehall. Off the clock, he restores old trucks and has a dry sense of humor that matches Wendell’s. If Mike says a fireplace can be saved, it can be saved. If he says it’s time for a rebuild, he’ll hand you the camera footage to prove it.
Rachel Kovacs, Service Coordinator
Rachel has been the voice on the other end of the Top Hat phone for 11 years. She grew up in Northampton and still lives five minutes from the shop, which means she knows exactly who’s calling from where and how long it’ll take to get there. Rachel schedules every job, confirms arrival windows, and makes sure the crew knows about the dog, the gate latch, or the tight alley behind the house before they pull up. If your appointment time ever slips, Rachel is the one calling to tell you, not leaving you waiting on an app notification. She can also quote a sweep over the phone in about two minutes flat, and the number she gives you is the number on the invoice.
Tom Yerk, Apprentice Sweep & Rooftop Runner
Tom joined the crew three years ago after spending his early twenties doing roofing and gutters across Northampton County. He’s mid-route on his CSIA certification now and shadows Wendell and Mike on every type of job, from basic sweeps to full relines. Tom handles a lot of the roof access work because he’s quick and careful up high, but Wendell doesn’t let him near a high-tension spring or a gas appliance solo until he’s signed off on it. He’s the youngest guy on the truck and the first one to volunteer for the cramped attic or the bird nest in the flue. Around the shop, Tom’s known for two things: showing up early and asking the right question at the right time.
One Standard, Every Job
Every job that leaves the Top Hat shop carries the same expectations, whether it’s a $149 sweep or a full chimney rebuild. Wendell’s 90-Day Done Right Promise is stamped on every ticket. If something isn’t right, one call brings the crew back at no charge. That’s not a slogan. It’s been the deal since 1999. Every tech is background-checked, uniformed, and trained on the same camera-first inspection process. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes. And the only way any of us can know how it’s breathing is to put a camera up there and look. That’s the standard. Every time, no exceptions.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Northampton and the surrounding communities since 1999.