The perfect time to get your chimneys swept

We've had our chimneys swept this week, and if you use your fires it's an ideal time to book an appointment with a sweep. It's easy to forget about the chimney once you stop using your fire or stove in the warmer weather, and then once you start using it again in the autumn there is likely to be a build up of soot and debris which can lead to a chimney fire.  People often assume that chimney fires are quite innocuous and limited to the inside of the chimney, but they can damage your entire home and put lives in danger so it isn't a risk you want to take.  If you're using your fire or stove regularly, it should be swept at least once a year.

There's a myth that chimney sweeping is a terribly dirty, dusty business and in the past people would cover all their furniture in sheets to prevent it getting sooty. Nowadays, it's a remarkably clean process, effectively just like hoovering out the chimney, and the sweep should bring sufficient covers for the area close to the fire which could get a bit dusty. If you use your fire regularly, you'll probably notice a real difference after you've had the chimney swept as it may burn better and with real log fires you'll know that there's less smoke in the room.

At Westcombes, we can recommend reliable and efficient sweeps who are properly qualified and who we trust to do a good job - and we'd suggest thinking about it now rather than waiting until the autumn when good sweeps are busier and you may face a wait.

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.