Main Street Business

Above: Rob Keller (right) has been the Sultan of Soot for the last 30 years. Tucker Shearer (left) is a sultan in training. Photo by Christine Bates.

When should homeowners call you about cleaning their chimney?

It’s based on how much wood you burn in your stove or fireplace. It’s like changing your oil based on mileage. After you burn one and a half cords of wood, you should call me to “sweep” the chimney to remove built-up sticky creosote, which is unburnt, flammable molecules of wood that cling to the inside of the chimney. To have peace of mind many of my clients have their chimneys cleaned every year.

I only clean wood-burning fireplaces, wood-stove chimneys, and chimneys that vent oil furnaces, not propane fireplaces or pellet stoves. It’s best to call me now. By fall I’ll be booked out for 45 days.

We also repair and replace chimney caps and install chimney liners when required.

What damages a chimney?

Besides irregular cleaning, burning unseasoned wood is inefficient, smokey, and builds up creosote. I recommend buying split wood a year ahead of time to make sure it’s as dry as possible. There’s even an inexpensive wood moisture testing device on Amazon that I use when clients complain about smoke to see if it’s the wood’s moisture that’s causing the problem. At Christmas time tossing wrapping paper, or especially pizza boxes, on top of a roaring fire can ignite the creosote. It’s a seasonal danger.

Do you inspect chimneys?

I’m certified by the National Fire Protection Association to do three levels of inspection. Level one is a cursory look up the chimney with a flashlight and checking out the exterior. Level two uses cameras to examine the interior of the chimney. Now I can do that watching on my phone with a WiFi connection. Level three is the most invasive and only done when serious, structural issues are suspected. This can involve removing parts of the chimney or walls to assess concealed areas. Drones are the next technology we’ll be using to look at chimney interiors.

Ever find odd things in chimneys?

I found a softball on a chimney shelf in Canaan and a golf ball in a Hotchkiss School chimney. Desiccated squirrels, mice, and birds are often trapped in chimneys that don’t have an animal mesh on top to keep them out.

Have you ever fallen off a roof?

In 30 years in this business, I’ve never fallen. You manage your own risk and decide whether a roof is a no go. You consider what could go wrong and work around it. Maybe my college degree in safety management has benefited me. The Sultans of Soot is a licensed, insured home improvement contractor. I’m certified by professional chimney sweep organizations and do continuing education through the National Chimney Sweep Guild.

Where did the very memorable name Sultans of Soot come from?

I bought this business 30 years ago from some very nice guys who had been teachers at Salisbury School. They named it after Babe Ruth, who was the Sultan of Swat, and the Dire Straits classic rock song “Sultans of Swing.”

Why did you buy a chimney sweep business?

After college I had various jobs that involved a lot of travel. After meeting my wife, who’s from here, and buying the “Casino” on Lime Rock Road I wanted to run my own local business. Then I saw a business-for-sale ad in the Lakeville Journal and made an offer, probably the only one, after doing the numbers and due diligence. The owners gave me a few weeks of training, equipment, and their customer list. I became the new Sultan. This is my thirtieth year in business.

Who are your customers?

My clients are residential, commercial, and educational. Everybody from a small antique house to Hotchkiss School to the estates in Millbrook. A large portion of our business is returning customers and then referrals from real estate agents. We really don’t do much advertising, and people remember our name. We only put up a site on the Internet about three years ago.

Why have you been successful?

I provide peace of mind and have enduring relationships with my customers. You’re in someone’s home. You need to know how to interact with people. Companies from out of town are hard sell, overcharge, and are often unscrupulous, using fear to upsell services. I have a fixed, simple price per flue for cleaning a chimney and never recommend unnecessary work.

My customers are in eastern Dutchess County, including Millbrook, northwest Connecticut, and the Berkshires. We do up to 800 sweeps a year. My motto is “Work hard, be honest.”

Part of our success comes from our ability to figure out the cause of a problem and then find a solution. It’s like a riddle. For example, we discovered the kitchen at one Lakeville, CT, restaurant was filling up with smoke because the pizza oven was not getting enough replacement air.

How much equipment do you have?

My most important pieces of equipment are drop cloths and a HEPA vacuum with fine filtration to protect the clients’ property. Houses, especially in Millbrook, can be spotless and all white.

Next is respirators and safety equipment. Then the cleaning equipment – the flexible rods and brushes that go up the chimney. Something is always wearing out or breaking down.

What’s your greatest weakness?

Definitely administration – getting out invoices, collecting bills, keeping up with the workload, scheduling appointments. Sometimes people just have to wait. I’m bringing a young apprentice into the business, which I hope will help out with this. He’ll also be handling the technology aspects of the business.

What’s the best thing to do if your fire starts smoking?

The worst thing to do is to turn on any ventilation fans – kitchen, bathroom, etc. – which just makes the lack of oxygen worse. Instead, open windows and doors to get more air into the room. The problem may also be just putting a big log on the fire, which uses up energy and drives out moisture instead of heating up. I always advise using split wood, which burns more efficiently.

What chimneys are most dangerous?

Modern chimneys, built conforming to building codes, are much less dangerous than older builds from when the chimney was actually a structural part of the house. Improperly installed wood stoves can present an even bigger problem. Always be sure that your insurance company knows you have a wood stove, and there is a permit and inspection.

What’s great about having your own business? Was there ever a tough time?

Financially our business has been stable, but there was a time when I wondered if I could physically continue moving ladders, going up on roofs and hauling equipment around. I’m 67 years old and have a protégé, Tucker Shearer, in training to eventually take over the business.

What do you do for fun?

I love to tinker with old cars and continue to fix up my house. We love having parties in the “Casino’s” double story grand room with its stage, tables, and chairs. I built the bar, and my wife made all the window, wall, and stage curtains. Sometimes we have great, live music – always a good time.

To learn more, call the Sultan of Soot at (860) 435-2269or visit their website sultansofsoot.com.