What Ellicott City Homeowners Say About Hearthstone Chimney Co.
We’ve been sweeping chimneys in Ellicott City since 1984. That’s four decades of climbing roofs in the Historic District, navigating the tight attic spaces of old stone homes, and explaining to folks exactly what we found up there. Reviews matter because they’re the only marketing we can’t write ourselves. We earn them by showing up on time, wearing clean uniforms, and leaving the living room cleaner than we found it. No drama, no upsell, just a square deal.
Recent Reviews
We bought our house in Dunloggin last fall and the inspector said the chimney “looked fine.” Russell ran his camera up there and showed us photos of a cracked flue liner that was dumping smoke into the wall cavity. He explained it like he was talking to his own neighbor, not a lecture. The repair was done in one day and we’ve been burning safely all winter.
- Lucia R., Dunloggin, Ellicott City
I’d been putting off a sweep for three years because I was afraid they’d find something expensive. The technician from Hearthstone found normal creosote buildup, cleaned it out in about an hour, and told me the liner was good for another decade. No pressure, no phantom problems. Just honest work and a fair bill. That’s rare in this county.
- Yolanda D., Ellicott City Historic District
Our fireplace in Montgomery Meadows was smoking back into the room every time we lit it. Another company quoted us a $4,200 rebuild. Hearthstone came out, did their camera inspection, and found the damper was installed upside down by the previous owner. Fixed it same visit for a fraction of that. Russell showed me the photos himself. Done right, and they stood behind it.
- Jasmine B., Montgomery Meadows, Ellicott City
I called at 9 PM on a Sunday because birds had gotten into the chimney and my wife was worried about carbon monoxide. A live person answered, scheduled me for Tuesday morning, and the technician arrived exactly when he said he would. Removed the nest, installed a Gelco cap, and swept the flue. Most companies in Ellicott City don’t even pick up the phone on weekends.
- Xavier D., Ellicott City
My 1920s colonial in Oella has a chimney that hadn’t been touched in fifteen years. Russell was upfront that the clay liner was deteriorating and explained my options without pushing the most expensive one. We went with a stainless steel liner from Olympia Chimney. His crew worked around my schedule, protected my floors with drop cloths, and the final invoice matched the estimate to the dollar.
- Lucia R., Oella, Ellicott City
I got three estimates for crown repair after last winter’s freeze-thaw damage. Hearthstone’s was the middle price, but they were the only ones who took photos of the spalling concrete and explained why a simple sealant wouldn’t last another season in Maryland’s climate. They used HeatShield for the repair and it’s held through two hard winters now. Photos you can see, a plain-English verdict. That’s their whole approach.
- Xavier D., Ellicott City
Why Customers Trust Us
These aren’t cherry-picked stories. They’re what happens when a company plans to be in Ellicott City for another thirty years and acts accordingly. Every technician is background-checked and uniformed. Most jobs finish in a single visit. The price we quote is the price you pay. And if something isn’t right, our 90-Day Done Right Promise means we come back, in writing, no arguing.
We don’t use builder-grade materials. Our liners come from DuraFlex and Olympia Chimney. Crown repairs use HeatShield or professional-grade concrete mixes. Caps are Gelco, Famco, or Copperfield, depending on what your chimney actually needs. Russell Haines has been making these calls since 1984, and he’s not about to start cutting corners now.
The camera inspection is non-negotiable on every sweep. You see what we see. If your liner’s good for another five years, we’ll tell you. If it’s not, we’ll show you exactly why, and we’ll never recommend work that can safely wait.
Call (410) 305-7884 to schedule your chimney cleaning in Ellicott City. A live person answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Estimates are free, and we’ll be there when we say.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Ellicott City since 1984.