When you first meet Micah and Corinne Ables, the words that come to mind are gracious and caring. They are a young, enterprising couple who have taken on the family business and desire to give customers the best home services possible.
If someone mentions a top hat, many images might come to mind. Perhaps someone would think of a village in England from the early twentieth century or a Broadway show. Another possibility is the popular movie “Mary Poppins,” which was dated in the early twentieth century. That movie also highlighted an industry that has stood the test of time for decades, even in Central Texas, chimney sweeping.
In 1980, Doug Ables needed chimney sweeping done at his house. He had trouble finding someone, so he began to research the task for himself. He gathered the necessary equipment and began the process, and after a few months, became one of the first chimney sweeps in Texas to be nationally certified by the Wood Heating Education and Research Foundation.
When he and his wife Mary returned to the Central Texas area in 1996, they began Ables Top Hat Chimney Sweeps and became the premiere chimney sweeps in Central Texas. They won the award for “Best in Central Texas” and “Best in Cove” almost every year since 2014. They also began dryer vent cleaning and air duct cleaning in 2005.
The Ables’ son Micah and his wife Corinne took over the business in 2020 and changed the name to Able Top Hat Home Services because they wanted to broaden their available services and customer base. Prior to taking over the business, Micah served in the United States Army and was deployed several times to Afghanistan, Israel, and even Poland in the infantry. When his father Doug experienced a health crisis, he wanted to come and help his family, and thankfully he was able to retire in Fort Hood.
One great passion of Micah and Corinne is education of their customers; they are not content to just come in, do the cleaning jobs, and leave. They have gone into several homes to clean fireplaces and discovered fire hazards with faulty wiring or other dangerous circumstances. They have the resources to fix those problems, or they will find someone who does. They have invested in high resolution camera equipment to take detailed pictures of their findings. They prepare extensive reports for customers to be aware of any repair needs the house might have.
One of their newest features is to provide fire extinguishers for private residences as well as local businesses who need to follow fire safety codes. They emphasized how important it is to have a fire extinguisher handy in the home or office, and they will gladly educate customers on the maintenance and use of the fire extinguishers as well as conduct the yearly inspection of the device.
Both of them mentioned that their greatest fulfillment has been to interact with customers and help them in their homes. During COVID, they were able to continue business due to being an essential service, and they entered many homes of people in quarantine who were lonely and needed a friend. Corrine remarked, “The home is an intimate place. People invite you into their homes and lives, whatever happens to be going on at that time. We have been able to bless people by being there to listen.”
One of the unique touches they add to each visit is the placement of a chimney sweep figurine on the fireplace mantel in each customer’s home. Several customers have a collection from over the years of service and look forward to receiving their figurines. Micah spoke of the lore surrounding chimney sweeps and mentioned that back in the early twentieth century, chimney sweeps were low on the social scale. While they were sweeping, they would put the owner’s top hat on to live a bit of the rich of life, even for a few moments. This sparked idea of “Top Hat Chimney Sweeps,” which is now called “Top Hat Home Services.”
The company offers prices bundles for combined services, such as duct cleaning and fireplace sweeping, military discounts, and even a “foster family bundle” that includes home inspection and the placement of fire extinguishers in the house as part of the basic requirements of getting a home ready for foster children. Top Hat Home Services serves Bell County and beyond, including but not limited to Belton, Temple, Salado, Moody, McGregor, Troy, Lampasas, and even extending to the Georgetown and Round Rock area. Customers can find more information on their Facebook page, “Ables Top Hat Home Services” or ablestophat.com. Micah and Corinne Ables are happy to carry on the family business and they are especially happy to serve the citizens of central Texas and keep them safe for many years to come.
