By day Nick Heuter looks like an average guy, but when he comes to sweep your chimney, you might mistake him for Dick Van Dyke in ‘Mary Poppins.?
‘You have to have the top hat on,? he said. ‘You kind of try to play the part.?
Heuter started sweeping chimneys as a young boy when he would help his stepfather in their house up north.
‘Every fall my stepfather cut like 10 cords of wood,? he said. ‘Our stove ran 24 hours a day. He showed me how to put the (chimney sweep) together and I did it a couple of times.?
Heuter, who graduated from Lake Orion High School in 1996, has been sweeping chimneys professionally for five years.
‘I was working in Pennsylvania for a while on a farm and I swept chimneys there too,? he said.
Heuter said in Europe it’s considered good luck to meet a chimney sweep. His clients are often surprised to see him arrive with a top hat.
‘I’m really friendly with everybody,? he said. ‘I was raised that way.?
Heuter does most of his work in the northern Oakland County area, and said the beginning of winter is his busiest time.
‘People want to get their chimney cleaned right before the holidays,? he said. ‘By fire marshall standards, you should have it cleaned every 30-40 fires.?
Heuter recommends checking your chimney every year, and also depending on how often your wood stove or fireplace is working.
‘I’m surprised people are (using wood stoves) more,? he said. ‘But with gas prices going up, people have said they are trying to burn more wood.?
It takes Heuter 30-40 minutes to sweep a chimney. He said he doesn’t mind answering questions from curious children while he’s working.
‘That’s my favorite part of the job,? Heuter said. ‘I love little kids, and they want to know what’s going on.
‘I’ll say, ‘We have to get the chimney ready for Santa Claus,?? he said.
To reach Nick Heuter of Wintersafe regarding having your chimney swept, call (248) 766-2851.