At Lindemann Chimney Supply we have a variety of products to assist you in repairing your customer's leaky chimney crown.

For minor cracks and to protect the chimney crown from further damage, we have CrownCoat. CrownCoat is a premixed, ready to use, “quick dry” crown protection coating. It can be used wherever a lasting waterproof membrane is needed. Just fill larger cracks and voids with patching cement or high quality caulk, then apply two coats of CrownCoat using a 3" or 4" paint brush (not included). First apply a thin coat, then follow with a heavier top coat. It cures completely in 2 – 4 hours and covers about 40 square feet per gallon. It may be colored using standard mortar dye and is sold in 2- and 5-gallon pails. It carries a 15-year warranty.

Another great option is CrownSeal. It is a ready-to-use trowel grade elastomeric coating that forms a flexible waterproof membrane. It may used on other masonry such as chimney corbels, tops of masonry walls and where a flexible waterproof membrane is needed. Drying time is 6 hours, curing time about 24 hours to a natural concrete/mortar color (or you can use mortar dyes). Available in 2- and 5-gallon pails (about 20 square feet at 1/8" thickness). It carries a ten-year warranty.

For more advanced damage, CrownSaver is just the ticket. Developed in the early 80’s it is still a preferred system among sweeps. It’s a blend of polymer modified hydraulic cements and powdered water repellents. To apply, first cover the crown with FormFoil, a sticky, rubber backed, aluminum foil flashing (sold separately). Then mix one scoop of CrownSaver with three scoops of clean, fine mason’s sand and water. Trowel over the crown at about 1/2" thickness (1/4" to 2" maximum). Sold in 28-pound pails, coverage averages about 30 square feet at 1/2" thickness. Warranted for ten years.

Be sure to always inform your customer of crown damage. Leaving a leaky or damaged chimney crown untouched is like having a crack in their roof. Water will continue to find it's way into the chimney leading to more chimney errosion and deterioration. Prevent future damage by repairing their crown.

We have had a lot of requests for information regarding the upcoming New York State Chimney Sweep Guild Seminar. With seminars on pellet venting, direct vent gas venting, CSST Gastite Gas Line and Tuning up the Inspection Process it's easy to see how spaces will fill up fast.

To register for this seminar, click on this link. Then click on registration workshop form on the right side under the workshop listings. The workshop form will give you information on how to register for the seminar. Click on the actual seminar link and it provides location, workshop detail, speaker backgrounds and the schedule.

This is a very impactful workshop all for a very reasonable donation request. These speakers may not make it back to your area for a while. So sign up today while there are still some spots left.

How many times have you said to yourself “I wish someone would have told me that” or “I sure wish I could have someone to ask about that”? If you’ve said this you are in luck! Part of the beauty of today’s electronic age is that you now have instant communication with people who have been in business for decades. Being connected with people all over the country also gives you perspectives on unique business challenges and the solutions the business owner developed. Not sure what I’m talking about? I’m talking about chat lists and chimney sweep associations/guilds.

The National Chimney Sweep Guild not only provides you with a wealth of decades of knowledge and experience but also a chance to network with other business owners from sweeps to masons to retail stores. Have a question? As a member, you can call or present your question on their chat list. To learn more about the Guild and getting on the chat list click here.

CHIMNEYS-L referred to as chimneys list is another source where you can ask questions of other business owners. It has been around for quite some time and is also a popular online sweeps hangout. Lots of valuable information has been shared through this list. For more information click here.

Your state and regional guilds are also a wealth of knowledge. You can get opinions from people who most likely faced the same challenges but many sweep companies help each other out – sometimes working together on challenging jobs. For a listing of state/regional guilds, click here. For a schedule of upcoming industry events click here.

I predict that the evolution of our industry, which has taken decades, will rapidly continue to grow with the advent of the electronic age. Communication is easy, quick and instantaneous. If you aren’t taking advantage of this phenomenon, you are getting left behind. Check into it today!

I've received some questions about the upcoming Inspection Processes Seminar for the upcoming New York State Chimney Sweep Guild Workshop on May 14 (workshop dates are the 13 and 14).

Tom Urban, industry teacher and President of Estoban, has given me a more detailed outline on what his presentation will cover:

Photo Progression- Taking photos in the field that make sense and save time.

Archiving photos, now that you have them what do you do with them and how do you find them.

Financial side of inspections- understanding the cost involved and return.

Interpretation- what you see from chimney scans and how to present them.

Marketing side of inspections- educating your customer about their present chimney condition that shows a return.

Tom Urban, Presenter

All the NY Guild is asking for each day of the workshop is a donation of $25 per person. You will walk away at the end of each day with valuable information worth many time over the cost of the workshop. This class also nets you CSIA Certification Credits.

To register or for more information, click here.

Posted by Karen Lamansky, Director of Marketing.

Gastite is an AGA design-certified fuel gas piping system. It utilizes corrugated, semi-rigid stainless steel tubing and is 100% factory pressure tested. Gastite Piping eliminates elbows, providing extremely flexible, fast and easy installation through ash pits and around obstacles. It is available in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" diameters. Gastite is sold by the foot. To order, a Gastite certification number is required.

• Installation time is faster and simpler than other systems
• Fewer joints mean  a reduced risk of leaks and call backs
• One man can easily handle 250' of tubing (38 lbs. per 1/2" roll)
• No heavy pipe threading equipment is needed
• Extremely flexible for easy installation through ash pits and around obstacles
• Metal to metal seal, no “O” rings

In conjunction with the New York State Chimney Sweep Guild, Lindemann is hosting a workshop that will include the Gastite Certification Program. For more information about the speaker click here. To register for the workshop click here.

If you are looking to become certified to install Gastite flexible CSST gas line then check out this information regarding the upcoming New York State Chimney Sweep Guild Workshop on May 13-14 in Latham, New York.

The featured speaker is David Borghoff who will provide training – both hands on and classroom training on fitting and installing Gastite. There will also be a question and answer session. Then the class, as a whole, will take the training test to become a Certified Gastite Installer. Attendees will receive a temporary certificate later to be replaced by a permanent certificate.  CEU credits from the Chimney Safety Institute of America will also be available: Technical 1; Codes & Standards 1. For the NFI program 2 CEU credits are available.

We are proud to help sponsor this event in conjunction with the New York State Chimney Sweep Guild. For more information, click here.

If you have questions on direct vent gas and pellet vent venting then we have just the seminar for you! The New York State Chimney Sweep Guild with Lindemann Chimney Supply is sponsoring a series of seminars on May 13-14 including direct vent gas and pellet vent.

Who better to teach these than Dale Menges of M & G DuraVent. Dale has been the Director of Technical Support and Training at M & G DuraVent for over 15 years. He has a long history of training both for DuraVent and the National Fireplace Institute. He is also a familiar face at the last few NCSG Shows. Each seminar is eligible for CEU credits for CSIA Certified Sweeps. Both seminars provide 2 NFI CEU Credits and for the CSIA 1 Technical and 1 Codes and Standards Credit for each seminar.

For more information on attending this valuable seminar click here.

Keeping the technological edge is pertinent to being in business. Tom Urban, founder and president of Estoban Corporation is the leading edge in chimney video scanning technology. As a 27-year veteran in the chimney and heating industries he is fully committed to providing the best equipment when it comes to photo and video documentation. Tom will be presenting Tuning Up Your Inspection Processes at the New York State Chimney Sweep Guild Workshop on May 13-14 in Latham, New York. A total of 4.5 CSIA CEU's and 6 NFI CEU Credits will be available to seminar attendees.

Tom has been a speaker at regional and national conventions in the chimney industry, heating and fireplace industries consecutively for 20 years. He designs and provides training seminars on chimney relining, oil burner technology, chimney section procedures, photo documentation and interpretation training and seminars on computer generated reports.

He has also taught at the CSIA in Indianapolis, IN since it’s opening in 2000. He is one of four in the teaching team who present diagnosis and documentation procedures to sweeps, engineers, and home inspectors. The 3-to-5 day course is also taken on the road twice a year. He also developed a multi-media course that includes power-point presentations and hands-on study.

Tom has a lot of experience working in the industry. From owning a chimney sweeping business with his Esther to being one of the founding directors of the PA State Guild, Tom found time in 1989 to be part of a  team of chimney professionals to document the conditions of all the fireplaces in the White House in Washington D.C. Estoban Corporation provided all the documentation equipment and Tom personally over saw the scanning and documentation of the chimneys.

Tom has been involved in many other activities such as being an expert witness in court cases, working with ABC 20/20 when they did a investigative report on carbon monoxide poisoning cases in N.J and Iowa. He authored a four page report on carbon monoxide titled “Close Encounters with CO” that was printed and sold thru the N.C.S.G.

Tom also provided equipment and setup for not one, but four episodes of “This Old House” on PBS, he even got to do a 4 min vinette called “Insider’s look at your chimney” (go to www.chimscan.net and click on educational video to see it).

Tom has been a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (N.C.S.G) since 1979 and holds the Certified Sweep # 210. He was awarded the C.S.I.A’s Education Award in 2004 and the N.C.S.G. Presidents Awards in 2009.

Lindemann Chimney Supply along with the New York State Chimney Sweep Guild are proud to sponsor this seminar. For more information on attending this seminar and other educational seminars click here.

On May 13^th and 14^th Lindemann Chimney Supply will be hosting a workshop with the New York State Chimney Sweep Guild in Latham, New York. The workshop will feature three sought-after courses with three highly skilled industry veterans. All three classes will provide continuing Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and National Fireplace Institute (NFI) education credits. You won’t find this kind of technical training anywhere else for a workshop donation of $25.00 per day.

Dale Menges of M and G DuraVent has been the Director of Technical Support and Training at DuraVent for over 15 years. He will present two separate seminars: Direct Vent Venting Systems and Pellet Vent Venting. Each seminar will be worth 2 CSIA CEU and 2 NFI credits. Click here for more info on these two seminars.

David Borghoff will be presenting a Gastite CSST Certification program that will allow attendees to collect 2 CSIA CEU and 2 NFI Credits as well as obtaining the flexible gasline Gastite Certification. For more info on the Gastite Seminar click here.

Tom Urban is president of the Estoban Corporation. He will be presenting Tuning  Up Your Inspection Processes. Tom has been working in the Chimney/heating industry for 27 years. His full time commitment is to provide the best equipment possible to photo document places where your head can’t fit i.e. Chimney, duct work, etc. Tom started in this trade as a chimney sweep company owner. Today he designs training seminars on chimney relining, oil burner technology, chimney section procedures, photo documentation and interpretation training and seminars on computer generated reports. He has been an instructor for the CSIA and NFI as well has having served as an expert witness. Tom's seminar will net you 4.5 CSIA CEU's and 6 NFI CEU Credits. For more information on this seminar click here.

A tour of the Lindemann distribution center in Latham will be offered Friday afternoon with Rob Lindemann serving as tour guide.

The workshop will be held at The Century House in Latham NY. A block of rooms are available for $85.00 a night at the Stay Inn (866-539-0036) which has a complimentary breakfast as well as a complementary airport shuttle (be sure to mention the Lindemann/NY State Chimney Sweep Guild Workshop). Rooms are limited and this price will close on April 29. To register for this valuable workshop, to see the schedule or obtain more information click here.

The Energy Top Damper is a great way to save your customer money. It’s easy to install and provides huge savings on energy dollars. In fact, they usually recoup the cost within 1-3 years. It’s a win-win situation. The Energy Top has a soft, pliable rubber gasket seal much like the seal on a refrigerator.

It is attached to the frame and actually compresses and conforms to the lid, forming a strong flexible barrier to the outside elements. No other damper on the market has this type of seal. Other dampers either don’t have a gasket or have a flat rubber gasket. With the Energy Top gasket, keeping heated or cooled “paid” air in is now easier and more efficient than ever.

The Energy Top includes installation instructions, mounting adhesive, 30' cable, firebox mounting bracket, handle and hardware. U.S. Fireplace Products is proud of the Energy Top Damper and insists on guaranteeing it with a Lifetime Warranty. Give it a try! You will be doing your customer a huge favor by saving them money while also making a difference in our environment!