Episode 34
Guest: Tim Hoglund
Business: Redline Chimney & Home Services
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Listen to Episode 34 on Spotify
Episode Summary
What does being a firefighter teach you about protecting your home from chimney and dryer vent fires?
In Episode 34 of Living Local with Frisbee Real Estate, Ed Frisbee sits down with Tim Hoglund, owner of Redline Chimney & Home Services, a growing Western North Carolina business specializing in chimney cleaning, inspections, repairs, preventative maintenance, and dryer vent cleaning.
Tim is also a Western North Carolina firefighter, and his experience responding to chimney fires and carbon monoxide calls helped inspire him to start Redline. After seeing firsthand how damaging these incidents can be, he began researching chimney maintenance and found a way to combine his firefighting background with roughly 15 years of previous carpentry experience.
Chimney Maintenance and Home Safety
Tim explains why homeowners should not wait until there is an obvious chimney problem. He recommends annual chimney sweeping and inspection, especially for homes that regularly use wood-burning fireplaces.
He also explains the difference between a Level 1 visual inspection and a more detailed Level 2 camera inspection. Redline uses a 360-degree camera to inspect the inside of the flue for deteriorating mortar joints, cracked terracotta tiles, and other problems that may not be visible from outside the chimney.
Tim particularly recommends a more detailed inspection when a property changes ownership or when a homeowner does not know the chimney's history. That can be especially helpful when buying an older home with a fireplace anywhere in Hendersonville, Asheville, Henderson County, Buncombe County, or elsewhere in Western North Carolina.
More Than a Chimney Sweep
Tim's vision for Redline goes beyond chimney sweeping. Services discussed in the episode include chimney and fireplace inspections, masonry repairs, chimney liners, firebox repairs, preventative maintenance, dryer vent cleaning, and solutions for damaged chimney flues.
He also talks about options such as stainless-steel liners, parging, refractory firebox repairs, fireplace inserts, and HeatShield repairs for damaged flues. His goal is to help homeowners understand what is wrong, what needs attention, and which repair options make sense.
Transparency is a major part of his approach. Tim says he shows homeowners what he finds through photos and videos, explains the problem and the available solutions, and encourages people to compare quotes when larger repairs are involved.
From Firefighter to Business Owner
Redline is still a young company, but Tim shares how quickly it has grown. He started by doing free cleanings for friends and fellow firefighters to build experience and establish a rhythm, then began receiving paid referrals almost immediately.
His long-term plan is to expand the business, bring in other firefighters, add service vans, and eventually create a storefront where homeowners can explore fireplace products and services.
Tim also talks about the connection between firefighting and chimney work. Both require ongoing training, attention to safety, and an understanding of fire behavior. He describes firefighting as his true passion, while Redline gives him another way to use his experience to help homeowners prevent problems before they become emergencies.
How to Reach Redline Chimney & Home Services
Website: redlinechimney.com
Phone: 828-849-4999
Tim also recommends following Redline on Facebook for specials, promotions, and before-and-after projects.
Local Food Favorites
Because this is Living Local, Ed also asks Tim about a few favorite places to eat. Tim mentions:
- Indian Aroma in Hendersonville
- Botiwalla in Asheville
- Chai Pani in Asheville
- Mehfil in Asheville
Tim is also one of the cooks at the fire station and shares a favorite firehouse dish: honey sriracha chicken made with drumsticks or thighs, with the spice level adjusted depending on how much fun he wants to have with the crew.
This episode is a practical conversation about home safety, chimney maintenance, dryer vent cleaning, small business growth, firefighting, and protecting homes throughout Western North Carolina.
As always, keep living local.
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Transcript
Transcript lightly edited for readability.
Ed: Thanks for tuning in today. We're excited to have Tim Hoglund from Redline Chimney and Home Services. I think I got that right.
Tim: Yeah, you got it.
Ed: Perfect. First time's a charm. And he's also a full-time firefighter.
Tim: Yes, sir.
Ed: Tell us about what you do and how it all happened.
Tim: I'm Tim from Redline Chimney and Home Services. I'm a local Buncombe County firefighter and part-time Henderson County firefighter. On my off time I created this chimney business. I'm trying to get away from saying just "chimney sweep" because we're really growing into more of a chimney specialist business.
I'm the owner-operator and we're trying to expand, bring on some other firefighters, add vans, and eventually have a storefront where people can come see fireplace products and services. Right now it's just a one-man show, and we have a fully wrapped truck.
Being a firefighter, I was able to see firsthand what chimney fires and carbon monoxide calls can do and how devastating they can be. As firefighters, we do what we call a size-up. Once a call is under control, you're always looking at the property and thinking, if this house were on fire, how would we approach it? Where would the ladder go? Where's the hydrant? What power lines would we need to watch?
I started doing that on chimney-fire calls and then began researching chimney maintenance. I have about 15 years of carpentry experience from South Florida, so I realized I could combine that with what I'd learned in the fire service.
Chimney fires, dryer vent fires, and kitchen fires are among the common types of fires we respond to in homes. Chimney and dryer vent issues can often be reduced through regular maintenance. That gave me a direction for the business.
Ed: What's the rule of thumb for chimney maintenance?
Tim: Annual sweeping and annual inspection. At minimum, have a chimney specialist do a Level 1 inspection, which looks at the readily accessible areas.
We also do Level 2 camera inspections. I highly recommend those when there is a transfer of ownership or when you don't know the history of the house or chimney.
Ed: Would that be part of a regular home inspection before somebody buys a home?
Tim: As far as I know, a typical home inspection does not run a camera through the flue. That's something we do. Our camera is a 360-degree camera, so we can see every angle.
We're looking closely at terracotta flue tiles, the mortar joints between those tiles, whether the mortar has deteriorated, and whether the tiles have cracked over time. Those tiles expand and contract with heat. If they crack, you can end up with a void where heat or gases could reach areas they shouldn't.
There is a lot involved in doing a thorough inspection and putting together a report. We try not to just present problems. We also present possible solutions.
I always recommend homeowners get multiple quotes on larger repair work. My goal is to be transparent. I show people what I see, explain why it's a problem, explain how I would fix it, and show them photos or video whenever possible.
Ed: What kinds of repairs can you do?
Tim: We do masonry repairs, preventative maintenance for leaks, liners, and firebox repairs. If a terracotta flue tile is cracked, one option is to install a stainless-steel liner.
If someone wants to keep an open wood-burning fireplace, we can use parging and refractory mortar in certain applications. I'm also becoming a HeatShield technician. That's a system where a product is applied inside the flue to seal cracks and joints, which can sometimes be an alternative to a full liner.
There are also fireplace inserts, which can be great for improving heat output in the home. And we can rebuild the inside of a firebox with refractory brick when those materials have deteriorated over time.
Ed: Sounds messy.
Tim: It is very messy. I've learned not to get too attached to gloves or work clothes. We wear black because it hides soot. But I love it. It goes hand in hand with being a firefighter.
Ed: How can people reach you?
Tim: The website is redlinechimney.com. The full name is Redline Chimney and Home Services, but we kept the web address simple.
The phone number is 828-849-4999. We're also on Facebook, and that's the main platform we use right now for promotions, before-and-after pictures, and updates. We also have Instagram and LinkedIn, but being a one-man show, Facebook is where we're most active.
Ed: I would think the next few months could get busy quickly.
Tim: Definitely. We've only been operational for a few months, but I've been preparing for about a year. I got certifications, liability insurance, the truck wrapped, and everything set up properly.
In June, I started by doing around 20 free cleanings for friends from the fire department who owned homes with chimneys. I wanted to build a rhythm and get real-world experience. Halfway through the month, word started spreading and we began getting paid jobs. Since then we've been doing around 30 jobs a month, some small and some much larger.
Sweeps and inspections are the bread and butter, but a large percentage of chimneys also have some type of additional maintenance need, whether it's mortar, leak prevention, or another repair.
Ed: You enjoy getting up on the roof?
Tim: We do. We're firefighters first, chimney specialists second, so safety is a big deal. We use harnesses, specialized roof footwear, and other safety equipment.
When we had heavy rain recently, we also did free temporary tarping for customers who scheduled permanent repairs with us. If someone had a serious chimney leak, we could get out there, tarp it, and then come back for the permanent repair.
Ed: Before we wind down, we always ask about favorite food choices in the area.
Tim: We really like Indian food. In Hendersonville, we like Indian Aroma. In Asheville, Botiwalla is great for quicker Indian food, and Chai Pani is great for sit-down Indian street food. We also like Mehfil in Asheville.
I always order the highest spice level and usually regret it, but I keep doing it anyway.
Ed: You also told me off camera that you cook a lot at the fire station.
Tim: One of my favorites is honey sriracha chicken. Equal parts honey and sriracha over drumsticks and chicken thighs, then bake it. If I'm cooking for a new crew, sometimes I'll make it extra spicy just for fun.
The fire department is really my passion. It's that brother-and-sisterhood, everybody having each other's back, being there for people on their worst days, training together, and then being able to have fun together back at the station.
The chimney business is another way I can use the knowledge I've gained, plus my carpentry background, to help people prevent problems before they become emergencies.
Ed: Give us the website and number one more time.
Tim: Redlinechimney.com and 828-849-4999. Check us out on Facebook for specials and promotions. We do offseason specials too, so don't wait until the month before cold weather to get your chimney swept.
Ed: Awesome. Thank you, Tim, very much.
Tim: Thanks for having me.
Ed: Thank you all for watching and or listening. And as always, keep living local.