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 Bethesda Team Behind Top Hat Chimney
Top Hat Chimney started in 1999 with one truck and Wendell Pike’s name on the door. Nearly three decades later, the Bethesda crew is still small enough that you’ll see the same faces year after year. No rotating cast of subcontractors. No nameless dispatcher passing you around. Just a handful of neighbors who know old brick, stainless liners, and the particular way Maryland humidity gets into a flue. They show up in uniform, they give you a real arrival window, and they leave your hearth cleaner than they found it. Here’s who you’ll likely meet when you call (240) 618-3233.
Our People
Wendell Pike, Owner and Lead Technician
Wendell founded Top Hat Chimney in 1999 after spending years working on chimneys across Montgomery County and seeing too many crews cut corners and disappear. He still runs jobs himself most weeks. If the phone rings at 2 a.m., it’s often Wendell who answers. He’s the one who stamps the 90-Day Done Right Promise on your paperwork, and he’s the one who comes back if something isn’t right. When he’s not on a roof in Bethesda, he’s usually at the hardware store or walking his dog along the Capital Crescent Trail.
Charlie M., Senior Installer and Liner Specialist
Charlie has been with Top Hat for 14 years and handles most of the chimney liner and rebuild work in and around Bethesda. He’s certified on DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Olympia Chimney systems, and he’s the person Wendell trusts to size a stainless liner correctly the first time. Charlie grew up in Silver Spring and can tell you which 1950s split-levels in the Woodmont Triangle have original terra cotta flues that are starting to spall. Off the clock, he coaches his daughter’s soccer team and grills more than he should.
Sam W., Service Coordinator
Sam is the voice you’ll hear most often when you call Top Hat Chimney. She’s been with the company for six years and keeps the schedule straight, the parts ordered, and the paperwork honest. Before joining the crew, Sam worked in residential property management in Rockville, so she understands the reality of old homes, tight budgets, and tenants who call about a drafty fireplace in January. She’s the one who makes sure you get a precise arrival window and a phone call if anything slips. On weekends, she’s usually hiking at Great Falls or chasing her two rescue dogs.
Diego R., Apprentice Sweep
Diego joined Top Hat two years ago as an apprentice and has already earned his CSIA certification. He handles a lot of the routine chimney cleaning and sweep work in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Kensington, often working alongside Wendell or Charlie. Diego is meticulous about drop cloths and shoe covers, and he takes the camera inspection photos you’ll see before any repair is ever recommended. He grew up in a rowhouse in nearby Takoma Park with a wood stove, so he learned early what creosote smells like when a flue isn’t drawing right. In his spare time, he restores vintage bicycles.
One Standard, Every Job
Every Top Hat Chimney job in Bethesda runs the same way, whether it’s a basic sweep or a full chimney rebuild. You get upfront pricing before a single tool comes off the truck. The number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice. You get a camera inspection with photo proof, and a plain-English explanation of what’s actually wrong and what can safely wait. You get a 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If something isn’t done right, one call brings Wendell back. That’s the standard Wendell set in 1999, and it hasn’t changed. Ask anyone on your street. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Bethesda since 1999.