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 Toms River Team Behind Hearthstone Chimney Co.
We’re the crew that shows up at your door in Toms River with boot covers, a vacuum that actually works, and no patience for shortcuts. Every one of us has been background-checked, trained on the brands we use, and drilled on the K.E.Y.S. code: Krafted right, Every time, Your home first, Standing behind it. Russell Haines built this team over 42 years by hiring people who’d still be welcome in his own living room. That bar hasn’t moved.
Our People
Russell Haines, Owner
I’ve been in chimneys since 1984, which means I’ve seen what happens when someone burns Christmas wrapping paper because they ran out of oak, and I’ve seen liners that looked like Swiss cheese because nobody checked. I started Hearthstone Chimney Co. with one truck and a stubborn idea: tell people exactly what’s wrong, show them the photo, and fix it so we don’t have to come back. The 90-Day Done Right Promise isn’t marketing. It’s a bet I’m willing to lose. I still answer calls when the line backs up, and I still climb ladders when a job’s tricky enough that I’d rather trust my own eyes. My wife says I talk about flue gases at dinner. She’s not wrong.
Mike D., Lead Technician
Mike’s been sweeping chimneys in Ocean County for 14 years, and he can tell by the creosote color whether you’ve been burning seasoned hardwood or last year’s pine trimmings. He’s CSIA-certified and trained on HeatShield resurfacing systems, which matters in Toms River because the salt air off Barnegat Bay eats masonry faster than inland. Mike carries a tablet on every job so homeowners see the camera footage while he’s still on the roof, not three days later. Off hours, he restores vintage motorcycles and applies the same tolerance for sloppy work: none. He once made Russell drive back to a job in Ortley Beach because a crown seal looked “fine” but wasn’t flat enough for Mike’s standard.
Carla R., Senior Installer
Carla handles our DuraFlex liner pulls and rebuilds, the kind of work where a quarter-inch miscalculation means starting over. She came to us from commercial HVAC, so she’s used to tight spaces and inspectors who don’t miss much. She’s factory-authorized on Olympia Chimney and Gelco cap systems, and she’s the reason we can promise most liner jobs in a single visit: she pre-fabricates every section in our Toms River shop before the truck leaves. Carla lives in Beachwood, grew up in a house with a 1920s masonry fireplace, and still remembers her father cursing the draft every Thanksgiving. She fixes those drafts now.
James T., Service Coordinator
James is the live voice when you call (609) 303-9679 at 10 PM on a Saturday because you smelled something odd. He’s been with us eight years, knows every township’s permit timing from Toms River to Little Egg Harbor, and schedules so that Mike or Carla isn’t driving across three towns between jobs. James grew up in South Toms River, worked dispatch for a plumbing company, and swore he’d never work for another shop that made customers wait three days for a callback. He hasn’t missed a call in five years. He also keeps a whiteboard of “creative fuel choices” - the things people admit to burning when he asks. Tops so far: a wicker chair, a bag of pistachio shells, and someone’s divorce papers.
Darius K., Apprentice Technician
Darius joined us in 2023 after two years in residential construction. He’s working toward his CSIA certification, currently handles sweep-and-inspection appointments across Toms River and Pine Beach, and has developed a specialty in Famco damper troubleshooting that surprised even Mike. Darius asks more questions than anyone on the crew, which Russell considers a feature, not a bug. He grew up in a house with a gas insert and thought “chimney sweep” was something from Mary Poppins until his first day. Now he can explain draft dynamics to a homeowner without them glazing over. He lives in Toms River, coaches youth basketball, and has never once complained about the attic heat in July.
One Standard, Every Job
The K.E.Y.S. code isn’t a poster on the wall. It’s how we decide whether a crown repair in Toms River gets the same attention as a full rebuild in Lavallette. Russell reviews every camera inspection personally for the first two years a technician is with us. The 90-Day Done Right Promise applies whether you’re a seasonal homeowner on the barrier island or you’ve lived in the same Silverton colonial since 1987. We use the same DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield materials on every job, priced upfront with no surprises on the bill. Background checks, uniforms, boot covers, and a vacuum that doesn’t leave soot in your carpet. Done right, and we stand behind it.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Toms River since 1984.