Service List

From the illustrations above you will be able to see a classification which your hearth fits into. The categories are not endless, however if your are still unsure from the information above, give us a call.

Why sweep the chimney?

When you burn coal, you have a build up within the chimney of soot. This can build over time to restrict the airflow out through the chimney. This causes lighting and draw problems, and can ultimately lead to a chimney fire if you have the right combination of factors, which is not a pleasant thing to have. It also may lead to structural damage.

When burning wood, the sap burns and leaves a tarry residue of creosote. Again, this builds up and can restrict the flow through the stack. The trouble with the creosote build up is that it needs to be scraped from the inside of the chimney, this, if neglected can be a timely process to achieve the correct results.

Birds can also cause a problem with blockages. As the spring nears, they find what they think is a safe place to raise their hatchlings, and we think is a nuisance. Bird nests can be a nightmare to clear, as an example a magpie nest can fill 3 black bin liners when fully removed! Surprisingly enough even cobwebs can cause a problem!

Blocked flue Cobwebs

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Below is a few examples of the work which is done in order to clean

each type of hearth:

Service List

The Open hearths are a delight to have during the winter months. Engineered in such a way that all hearths were interlinked by a single chimney on the corresponding side of the property with a series of bends and ledges, which makes it crucial to have them swept regularly. This construction was typically the way in which young lads were thrust into working life through the Victorian, and previous, regimes of working class society. Unfortunately, this method of cleaning was not without its casualties.

Open Hearth

The majority of solid fuel burners are installed with the servicing in mind, this means that the have access points either through the top or they have a removable plate on the flue itself. In some instances the access point has not been included, therefore the whole burner must be removed and re-installed once swept.

Woodburner in Traditional Hearth

Solid fuel burners which have been installed into inglenooks are generally treated the same as the ones above, installed into small hearth. The difference being with the inglenook is that they have large register plates which collect soot and deposits and therefore take longer to be swept. The majority of these which are installed into Inglenooks are removed for sweeping purposes.

Woodburner in Inglenook

Solid fuel Agas, Rayburns, Esse etc are all based on the same principle as the burner described above. These are typically solid fuel or oil fired. The oil fired burners still require sweeping as they build up soot within the flue also.

Aga / Rayburn