Since 1982

SERVING GREATER Kansas City

CHIMNEY & FIREPLACE MAINTENANCE  | INVESTIGATIONS

​pADGITT cHIMNEY & fIREPLACE | Padgitt forensic investigations | hEARTHMASTERS PUBLISHING
Specialty O&C Fire Investigations for Insurance Claims

MARGE PADGITT

Finance, Accounting & Human Resources

28 Years with HearthMasters

Assistant technician | Ventilation  CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep

With HearthMasters since 2019

CYNTHIA THOMAS

Chimney and fireplace ventilation services. Inspector and crew leader. OSHA Certified 10-Hour Construction.

Jaden Mammen

RONALD SCHMIDT

AUDREY ELDER

Chimney and fireplace ventilation services. Inspector. OSHA Certified 10-Hour Construction.

IT Systems Coordinator | Office Assitant | Photographer

10 Years with HearthMasters

CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep | CSIA Certified Dryer-Vent Technician

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Technical Trainer | Estimator







Certified Chimney Sweep by the Chimney Safety Institute of America since 1990.  Requires 42 hours of training every three years to maintain certification. Approved proctor by the CSIA.
 
EX-Certified Wood-burning Specialist by the National Fireplace Institute 1993-2019
Requires knowledge of wood-burning appliances, chimneys, installation, and maintenance. Requires re-testing or 42 CEU credits every three years. National Fireplace Institute Approved Instructor and teaches the certification class in the Midwest region. www.nficertified.org 


Licensed Private Investigator in Missouri

Industry writer, Speaker
Publisher and editor of Wood-Fired Magazine

Editor of the Midwest Chimney Safety Council News Magazine 1996-2019
Author of the Chimney and Hearth Pro's Resource Book
Author of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking
​Author of the Home Inspector's Guide to Chimney and Hearth Inspections
​​Kansas City Alternative Energy Examiner for www.Examiner.com for six years. See her informative articles with lots of tips at the Examiner and Chimneys.com websites.

Marge has written over 250 articles about chimneys, fireplaces, vents, appliances, inspections, and more


Non-Profit Associations
​Past President and Educational Director of the Midwest Chimney Safety Council 
Past Region 4 Director, National Chimney Sweep Guild
Past board member of the Midwest Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association

Past board member of the Masonry Heater Association of North America
Past Bake Oven Committee Chair for the MHA
Served on UL 127 and 103 Technical Committees for five years
Served on the PR Committees for the MHA and NCSG

Helped update the CSIA Sweeping Manual​


36 years in the industry

Copy-Editor | Executive Assistant

3 Years with HearthMasters

RYAN SKAHAN

Maria McKenzie

8 Years with HearthMasters

Design Editor | Office Assistant, Accounting

7 Years with HearthMasters

PHILLIP THOMAS

Lead mason. Wood-burning, relining, and ventilation specialist. Works with brick, stone, tile, steel, custom-made liners and poured-liner systems, as well as FireGuard sealant. Specializes in fireplace construction and restoration.  OSHA Certified 10-Hour Construction.

ANTHONY GROSS

Missouri Professional Private Investigators Association

Lead Mason | CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep | CSIA Certified Dryer Vent Technician

Laborer


23 Years with HearthMasters

OUR CREDENTIALS

Professional memberships


National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG)

Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA)

National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI)

Midwest Chimney Safety Council (Marge Padgitt is President and Educational Director)

MO Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators

The Masonry Heater Association of North America

GENE PADGITT, V.P./COO


State Certified Fire Investigator | Licensed Mechanical Contractor | Outside Sales/Estimates








​Missouri State Certified Fire Investigator/Licensed Private FIre Investigator

Requires 40 hours of training and annual CEU credits testing by the State of Missouri Department of Public Safety in addition to other requirements. Gene serves as an expert witness for cases involving structural fires related to chimneys and heating applianaces.

​Class DM Master Mechanical License
 in all cities and counties in the greater KC area. Requires passing the BLOCK test and knowledge of gas, oil, and wood-burning heating equipment, chimneys, vents, ducts, plumbing, electrical and codes applying to these applications. Requires 8 hours of CEU course training annually at Johnson County Contractor Licensing. This license is required by law in the greater Kansas City area. See a list of licensed contractors at http://www.jocogov.org/dept/planning-and-codes/cls/home​

Certified Chimney Sweep by the Chimney Safety Institute of America since 1990
The Certification requires knowledge of codes, clearances, construction, inspection, and maintenance of chimneys and fireplaces, the International Residential Code and the NFPA 211 Standard for Fireplaces. Testing or 42 CEU credits required every three years. www.csia.org

NFI Certified Gas Specialist by the National Fireplace institute. Qualified to inspect, service, and install gas appliances. www.nficertfied.org 

Certified Heater Mason by the Masonry Heater Association of North America. Qualified to build masonry heaters and brick ovens and any type of masonry. Commercial and Residential  

Degree in Heating, Ventilation, Cooling, and Refrigeration 1985 from Vatterott & Sullivan Technical College

OSHA Certified 10-Hour Construction

Award-winning master mason with 15 national and regional awards


40 years in the industry