Our Company Blog

We Are Looking for Quality Workers

As we are heading into our busiest time of the year, Atlas Chimney is looking to hire quality workers. While previous chimney experience is a plus, it is not a requirement as we have available driver and manual worker positions. If you live in the Austin area and need a job, we can help you if you love working with your hands and are in good physical condition. We are proud to offer competitive pay and flexible hours to our employees. We would like to tell you a bit more about the qualifications we are looking for as well as about the possibility of becoming a certified chimney sweep for us.

What are the requirements for working at Atlas Chimney?

As mentioned above, previous chimney experience is not required, but we are looking for applicants with experience with working on ladders and roofs. We also are in need of workers who have solid trade skills. We also require that our employees have dependable transportation and a clean driving record. If we feel you would make a good addition to our growing team, you will have to agree to both a background check and a drug screening before we can offer you employment.

How can I become a certified chimney sweep?

At Atlas Chimney, we are proud to offer chimney maintenance, repair, and installation services from technicians who have been certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). We enjoy helping our workers begin their careers as chimney sweeps with us, and we offer education and training through the CSIA. If you are interested in becoming a certified chimney sweep, the CSIA  is the industry standard for the certification process. After you purchase the necessary texts for the CSIA certification program, you will then enroll in a week-long online review session. Once you have completed the review session, you have up to one year to take the Certified Chimney Sweep exam. This exam includes a one hour exam based on two of the required texts, Successful Chimney Sweeping and the National Fire Protection Association 211, and a 90-minute exam based on the International Residential Code. After you pass this exam, you will sign the CSIA Code of Ethics and pay your annual certification fee to become a CSIA-certified chimney sweep. Once you have received this certification, Atlas Chimney will welcome you to our team of CSIA-certified sweeps.

If you are looking for a job in the Austin, Texas area, Atlas Chimney is hiring! Contact us to be considered as a new member of our growing team.

Increasing Heating Efficiency

Now that fall is just around the corner, it is time to think about the best ways to heat your home to provide comfortable warmth without spending a lot of money on your heating bills. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, you may have noticed that even though it is cozy and creates a warm atmosphere, its energy efficiency is not the best. Atlas Chimney would like to give you some tips that will increase the heating efficiency of your wood-burning fireplace and decrease your heating costs this winter.

Only burn seasoned firewood.

Seasoned firewood is wood that has been allowed to dry for at least six months after it has been cut, and this means that it will burn cleaner and warmer fires. Burning freshly-cut wet wood creates a lot of smoke and wastes a lot of energy trying to get rid of all of the moisture within the wood. The majority of the heat produced escapes out of the chimney. Fires built with seasoned firewood provide more warmth to your home.

Install tempered glass fireplace doors.

Another way to keep heat from going out of the chimney, the installation of tempered glass fireplace doors reduces the amount of heat getting sucked from your home by increasing the internal temperature of the chimney. According to SF Gate, it is important to keep the doors closed when a fire is burning as well as to make sure the doors fit tightly around the fireplace opening and be sealed with a fiberglass gasket. Take advantage of the professional installation services provided by Atlas Chimney to ensure the doors are properly fitted to increase heating efficiency.

Update your fireplace with a wood-burning stove insert.

Using new technology, these modern wood-burning stove inserts are able to greatly increase the heating efficiency of your older traditional fireplace. In fact, many models are certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as energy efficient heating appliances. You will be amazed by the long-lasting and warm fires you will enjoy from burning a smaller amount of firewood. To work safely and effectively, professional installation services are a must. Atlas Chimney will make sure that the flue correctly matches the size of your new insert to avoid chimney draft problems.

If you want to increase the heating efficiency of your home this winter, contact us at Atlas Chimney. Our experienced staff is happy to help you be able to enjoy warm and cozy fires while reducing your heating costs.