Chimney fires

The Jeremy Vine show on Radio Two had a feature earlier this week about a spate of chimney fires in Devon. They may sound innocuous but can be really frightening with flames shooting out of the top of the chimney and lots of smoke and noise - and they can cause serious damage to your home.  If your chimney is on fire, the advice is to call the fire brigade right away.

There are some things you can do to help prevent chimney fires and one of the most important is to ensure you have your chimney regularly swept - a build up of soot and deposits in the chimney is a common cause of fires.  You may also be surprised to learn that burning unseasoned (or damp) wood can be an issue.  Wood sold on garage forecourts is often unseasoned and it doesn't burn well.

At Westcombes, we recommend using a qualified chimney sweep and we have local sweeps who are members of the National Association of Chimney Sweeps to keep your chimney clear - and we sell fantastic kiln-dried wood.

The woodburning stove car heater...

Woodburning stoves are ever more popular, but the idea of installing one to heat your car was certainly new to us!  Faced with icy temperatures during the winter, one Swiss German guy decided that by far the most effective way to heat his Volvo would be to install a woodburning stove in the car - and so he did just that... The sight of him driving through the snow with a blazing stove in his car and a chimney poking out of the roof is quite interesting - take a look here!

Our installers can't put stoves into your Volvo, but will be able to help if you want a stove in a more normal setting in your home or office - contact us for information about our huge range of woodburning stoves approved by DEFRA for use in London's smoke control zone.

Delivery

We just took a call from a customer who'd found a stove she liked the look of online - but was expected to go and pick it up from the other side of the UK herself!  Buying online can sometimes seem cheap, but we're able to match many internet offers now - and the advantage of shopping with us is that you can see the stoves and fires yourself and discuss them with us making use of our many years of experience and expertise in this field.

True, we don't yet deliver across the UK but we offer free local delivery to many areas in London and even parts of Kent too.  For slightly longer distances, we can often deliver for a small charge depending on what we are delivering and where too!

Do come and see us at Westcombes if you're looking for a fire or stove - we have a wide selection in our four showrooms and we're sure you'll find something that appeals.  We're open 10-6, Monday to Saturday.

The best place to celebrate Valentine's Day...

If restaurants jam-packed with Valentine's Day couples don't appeal, why not choose to spend the evening with your loved one in front of a cosy fire at home.  A bottle of fizz, some delicious food and a roaring fire will make for a far more romantic evening than any special Valentine's menu in a restaurant.  Of course, we are a little biased but we think you'll probably agree if you've got one of our lovely Westcombes fires or stoves at home!

Cold. cold, cold...

After a snowy weekend here in London, it's frosty again today and there were even a few snowflakes in the air this morning.  Temperatures are expected to stay low for a while, and it's just the kind of weather when you want to come in from the cold and settle down in front of a cosy fire or stove.  Of course, it's rare nowadays to find a home without central heating, but even so a fire or stove can give a warming glow to your home.

If this cold snap has made you think about getting a stove or fire, come and visit us at Westcombes to take a look at the huge selection we have on offer.  And don't forget, we sell kiln dried logs, kindling and flamer firelighters too!