Frequently asked questions

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At least once a year.

This is the common consensus throughout all the various bodies and associations in the UK.

Factors such as the type of chimney, type of fuel burned, type of appliance, prolonged use and the moisture content of wood can all determine how frequently your chimney should be swept. 

If you burn a lot of wood or coal, guidelines recommend sweeping quarterly when in use.

A good analogy is servicing your car……. If you do a lot of miles, you will need to have it serviced more than once a year. So, by the same token if you burn a lot of wood or coal, you will almost certainly need your chimney swept more than once per year.

We will be able to advise you on sweeping frequency based on your specific set of circumstances. The certificate of sweeping we issue to you will also indicate the next suggested sweeping date.

There are also signs you can look out for yourself, which indicate your chimney is due for sweeping, even if you had it swept in the last year.

Signs that your chimney needs sweeping:

• You can smell smoke in your home after lighting your fire, or there is a strong smell coming from the fireplace.
• Your fires aren’t burning as strongly and burning wood creates more smoke than usual.
• Soot is dropping down into the fireplace.

Ideally before you you want to light it for warmth when the weather turns cold. A sweep can be performed at any time of year, but If there is a problem that requires repair of some sort, you may not be able to use your fireplace until it's fixed. 

Most don’t think about having their chimney swept until the first cold snap of the year, meaning that chimney sweeps are often fully booked in the winter months. You will likely find it much easier to book a convenient appointment throughout the spring and summer months. Sweeping in the earlier months also means that the very acidic deposits are not sitting in your flue all summer, either eating away at the mortar in your chimney or corroding the steel in your liner. 

We will be able to advise you of sweeping frequency and will document the next suggested sweep date on your certificate of sweeping. 

A straight forward sweep takes approximately 30 minutes. It can obviously take a little longer if it is particularly dirty or has not been swept for a long time. We allow an hour for each appointment to ensure we are never rushing.

In the vast majority of cases, not at all. We use floor sheets to put our equipment on and seal the chimney/appliance before sweeping, so that no debris comes back into your home. We use H rated filtration on our vacuums to ensure your room is left both clean and safe.

Sometimes, nest removal can be a little messy, but we will work hard to contain this and advise you of any potential for mess before we begin.

The short answer is it depends on your chimney. 

We will use a combination of traditional sweeping methods and rotary power sweeping technology tailored to your particular set of circumstances.

Not to sweep the chimney, No. 

A visual inspection of the external chimney condition will be noted, which can be done from the ground. Roof access will only be necessary if a cowl needs fitting or the Chimney stack requires repair. 

Any soot and debris removed from your chimney will be bagged and sealed, so that it does not make a mess. We will then deposit it in your general rubbish, or leave it for you to use in the garden if you wish. Sadly, if we remove it from your property it is classed as hazardous commercial waste.

Your chimney/appliance needs to be cold/safe enough for us to work on.

A clear area around and in front of the fireplace for us to work is ideal, so removal of any ornaments to a safe area is helpful. 

We will need to plug in our vacuum, so a clear plug socket close by will be useful if possible.