Chimney Sweeps continues to provide critical services to San Diego County during COVID-19

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, Chimney Sweeps, Inc., is still providing inspections, repairs and other services to its customers throughout the San Diego County region.

“There are certainly risks associated with the fireplace, including carbon monoxide, making chimney fires, smoking, other fire hazards,” said Julian Margo, who leads the company’s day-to-day operations. “It’s important we service those clients’ needs in this time period.”

Some of those clients rely on their chimneys as their primary source of heat, making it an important resource as they’re sheltering in place due to the current public health guidelines.

“It’s very important that their fireplace is maintained and in good working order during this period of time,” Margo said.

Chimney Sweeps, a family-owned company that began more than 30 years ago, is also taking precautions to protect its employees and customers. All employees are wearing masks and gloves around the office and when they’re out working at clients’ homes.

“We ramped up our cleaning and sanitation process,” Margo said.

Using Decon7 sanitation spray and fog, industrial cleaners that have been widely used to help guard against the spread of the coronavirus, Chimney Sweeps regularly cleans all its surfaces in its office, trucks and on tools.

“It’s imperative we maintain operations, but also protect our customers and our employees,” Margo said, adding that it’s especially important for the company to maintain a “healthy standard” during the global pandemic.

“We are making strong efforts to ensure that we are decontaminating regularly, and on top of that, making sure all our employees have all their needs provided for, including masks, hand sanitizers, and gloves,” he said. “Not only for work, but their personal lives as well, so we all maintain our health and we can get through this.”

Margo added that the rainy season is a busy time of year because of leaks and related issues, making it especially important that they have access to chimney services as they spend almost all their time at home until shelter-in-place orders are lifted.

“With so many people shut in their homes and the cold rainy season upon us, we found that there’s quite a demand for our services, not only for maintenance but for safety as well,” Margo said.

Chimney Sweeps started as a “mom and pop” business before growing into one of the premier chimney sweeping companies in San Diego County. Margo’s father, Steven, who was born in London and came to America at age 6, started the company in 1985. Chimney usage is much different in San Diego, with year-round warm weather, but regular maintenance is still important for local residents who do need it for heat or use it on a regular basis for other reasons.

Margo’s mother and brother are also involved in Chimney Sweeps. He said the company brings the “mystique and lore” of chimney sweeping traditions from England.

“We bring that old world tradition and adapt it to modern technology,” Margo said.

Chimney Sweeps, Inc., is located at 10036 Maine Ave. in Lakeside, and services all areas of San Diego County. For more information, call (619) 593-4020 and visit chimneysweepsinc.com

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