01
It has been more than a year
Time alone is reason enough for an open fire in regular use. Soot builds whether or not you have noticed anything.
Service 01
Open fire and inglenook sweeping
Brush-and-rod sweeping for open hearths, from a small Victorian grate to an inglenook you can stand up in.
An open fire throws more soot up the flue than any stove, because far more of what you burn goes straight up the chimney rather than into the room. That is the trade-off for the look of it, and it means an open hearth in regular use wants sweeping every year without argument.
The job itself is unglamorous and should be. Sheets down, a vacuum sealed to the hearth opening, then brush and rod the full length of the flue until it comes back clean. Anything that has come down — soot, mortar, the occasional jackdaw's worth of twigs — is bagged and taken away rather than left in your hearth.
Inglenooks take longer and we price the time honestly. A wide throat needs sweeping across its full width rather than straight up a single line, and where a register plate has been fitted it usually has to come off to get above it. If yours is sealed or has been plastered in, we will tell you before we start rather than after.
What the visit covers
Every one of these, every time.
Full-length brush and rod
The whole flue, from the hearth to the pot, not just the first accessible stretch.
Register plate lifted where fitted
Removed, swept above, and put back properly. If it cannot come off safely we stop and explain why.
Smoke-draw test
Proving the flue vents where it should before we pack up.
Certificate emailed the same day
The document your insurer asks for, sent before we leave the drive.
When to book it
Any one of these is reason enough.
02
Smoke rolls back into the room
Usually a partial blockage or a draw problem. Sometimes it is the flue, sometimes it is the room — we can tell which.
03
Debris in the hearth
Mortar, grit or nesting material appearing on the hearth means something above is coming loose.
04
You have just moved in
You have no idea when it was last done and neither does the survey. Sweep it before the first fire.
Questions
The ones we actually get asked.
How often does an open fire need sweeping?
Once a year for normal use. If you burn most evenings through the winter, or you are burning wood that has not been properly seasoned, twice is more sensible. We will tell you which you are on the first visit.
Will it make a mess?
No. The hearth is sheeted and the vacuum is sealed to the opening before any brush goes up. The room should look exactly as it did when we arrived.
How long does it take?
About an hour for a standard open fire. An inglenook, or a flue that has been left a long time, takes longer.
Do I need to do anything before you arrive?
Let the fire go out at least twenty-four hours beforehand, and clear ornaments and rugs from around the hearth. That is all.
The other five jobs.
02
Wood burners & multi-fuel stoves
Baffle out, flue swept top to bottom, rope seals and glass checked. Stoves in constant use want sweeping twice a year, not once.
03
Bird nests & cowl fitting
Nest removal outside the March–August breeding season, followed by a bird guard or cowl so it does not happen again next spring.
04
Thatched properties
Swept from below, with a full external inspection of the stack and ridge. Thatch is unforgiving of a flue nobody has looked at.
05
CCTV flue inspection
A camera survey of the full flue when something is not drawing right, before a sale, or after a chimney fire. You get the footage.
06
Smoke-draw & integrity testing
Proving a flue is sound and venting where it should. Booked on its own when a room smokes back, before a purchase, or after a fire.
Get a slot before the season fills.
Monday to Saturday, 7am–7pm. Voicemail answered same day.