About Us
Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service is a full-service chimney sweeping company owned and operated by Tommy and Beka Nelms. As a service company founded by a former firefighter, we take fire safety education seriously, and consider it our number one job. If we can prevent a fire from happening in someone’s home, then we have provided the highest level of customer service possible.
Our team promotes fire prevention through education and routine maintenance of fireplaces and chimney venting systems, while providing warmth, comfort, and peace of mind to all of our customers. When we go to a job, we take the time to sit down with our customers and review their fireplace systems thoroughly. We teach each customer proper techniques and things to watch for. We also aim to be a resource that members of the Brentwood, Nashville, and Franklin communities can come to when they have a question about their fireplaces or dryer vents.
Our services are designed to meet your every need, and include:
Our Unique History — From Putting Out Fires To Preventing Them
Company owner, Tommy Nelms, has lived in Williamson County all of his life and was a firefighter for the county for over 13 years. During his time as a firefighter, Tommy saw first-hand how devastating fires can be. When you first start out in fire service, you think your job is to put fires out. But the more time you spend on the job, the more you realize that it’s your job to prevent fires from happening in the first place — and it starts with educating homeowners. That’s why Tommy decided to start Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service back in 2010.
Losing your home to a fire is a terrible thing, and it has always been Tommy’s intent to bring his passion for fighting fires over into a career that prevents them. In order to prevent a fire from happening, you first need to understand how a fire starts and how a fire behaves. Tommy’s firsthand experience as a firefighter taught him both. That’s what makes him uniquely positioned to educate his customers, while providing everything from chimney relining to safety inspections and fireplace installation.
Owner, Tommy Nelms, pictured far left.
Our Core Values, Experience & Certifications
We hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe our customers and our community deserve the best. Here at Sweeps & Ladders, these are our core values:
- RESPECT — We treat each other and our customers with respect.
- QUALITY — Whatever job we do, we take the time and put forth the effort to do it right the first time.
- TEAM WORK — We believe that the whole team is greater than the sum of the individuals who make up that team. No matter what we’re doing, we do it with the whole team’s best interest in mind.
- TECHNOLOGY — We harness the power of technology to provide a more efficient working environment for our team members and a higher level of customer service for our customers.
Our certifications and experience include each of these:
- Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)-Certified Chimney Sweep
- CSIA-Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician (CDET)
- National Fireplace Institute (NFI) Wood Burning Specialist
- TN-Certified Firefighter
- TN Certified Firefighter II
- TN Certified Haz-Mat Tech
- TN Certified EMT-IV
Sweeps & Ladders is a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited business and Tommy is a CSIA board member and Chair of Education Committee. We’re also the 2017 BBB Torch Award Finalist for Ethical Commerce and the recipients of the 2013 Angie’s List Super Service Award.
Our Team
Tommy Nelms
Owner/CEO, CSIA Master Chimney Sweep
Beka Nelms
Owner/CFO
Tate Paul
General Manager/CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist
Logan Cunnigham
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist
Lane Cunnigham
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist
Bryce Lay
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep
Luke Cunningham
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep
Our Work To Sweep Away Cancer
Tommy’s passion for helping others also led him to join forces with two others in the chimney industry in 2015 to found Sweep Away Cancer, a 501(c)(3) committed to finding a cure.
Every year, chimney sweeps around the globe raise funds and awareness throughout the month of October. In the first year alone, Sweep Away Cancer was able to raise more than $15,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
To learn more about Sweep Away Cancer and how you can help us find a cure, head to sweepawaycancer.com.
Protect Your Home & Get The Peace Of Mind You Deserve With Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service
How many other chimney sweeps out there can say they’ve fought a chimney fire or know what a fire does when a dryer vent ignites? Trust only Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service with something as precious as you and your family’s well-being. We are a safety-first company and will bring that knowledge to each job.
Ready to schedule an appointment? Call 615-791-7457 or fill out our online appointment request form. Let’s get started on protecting your home.
Once you contact us, you can count on a prompt and friendly response to your questions and to your appointment request. Sweeps and Ladders Chimney Service is always ready to help.