Know Anything About Sweeping A Chimney?

[Deleted User]

muckybutt wrote: »

Good luck this time of year !

I start to get busy from October onwards, December is normally booked up fully by mid November.

Not having a go at you but why oh why do folk leave it till the last minute to sweep their chimneys ? it is the same every year, use your noggin and either book us early or in the Summer - Summer months for us can be dead - bookings then can be the difference of a business surviving or folding !

I have had several calls today asking for sweeps this week .... I laughed !

Do you advertise?

What makes me laugh is tradesmen who are booked up but still advertise in local weekly press. If you are booked, don't advertise then I won't phone you when I need work doing.

alleycat`

Deleted_User wrote: »

Do you advertise?

What makes me laugh is tradesmen who are booked up but still advertise in local weekly press. If you are booked, don't advertise then I won't phone you when I need work doing.

Think that's a bit unfair to be honest.

Most adverts are set to run for protracted time frames not just as one offs on a rolling basis.

I'd support what you are saying if these were door drop "fliers" but not for yellow pages type advertising.

As to elsien, get it swept in late september, it's rare that any "large" birds will be starting a new nest that late in summer / early autumn as it'd be very difficult to get a bigger bird to fledge in time.

Bird guard or cowl helps too.

Greenfires

Some sweeps may travel 20 miles to a job depending on the type of area they're working in. You'll probably have to pay a fair bit more though as they could have done a couple of jobs in the time it takes to get to and from your place.

However, if you can find one that will come that far, AND have slots available before Christmas - then the first question I'd be asking myself would be "how come you're not busy?" We've been busy since early August which was early - normally our silly season tends to kick off in earnest late August. Been booked up to Christmas for a good while now though.

RickMoney

Sorry to hi-jack the thread but it is active and has a few sweeps in it.

I have moved into a place that has 2 stacks, 5 chimneys. They have not been used for a while.

Intention is to use on 2, maybe three and have the rest capped. Will need to buy some new fireplaces for the two.

So, do I get a sweep to check the chimneys for suitability, or would the place we get the fireplaces from check them when they fit them?

Also, they have victorian chimney pots on them, is it possible to get caps at the top to stop rain/birds going down but still allow enough draught? (We don't want those big spinning things).

cheers,

Rick

muckybutt

In all honesty - a sweep will give you a much better idea on what condition the chimney is in rather than a fireplace fitter.

There are many many different types of caps to fit all sorts of pots, the spinny things you see btw are not caps !

RickMoney

muckybutt wrote: »

In all honesty - a sweep will give you a much better idea on what condition the chimney is in rather than a fireplace fitter.

There are many many different types of caps to fit all sorts of pots, the spinny things you see btw are not caps !

Cheers for that. Can you advise at what period in the year things start to quieten down and I'll contact a guy around that time?

Also, I'm sure the sweep would advise the cap options but is there anywhere online I could have a look at some?

Thanks.

Rick

UnderPressure

Well, another 3 hours today and managed to loosen and retrieve another black bag full to the brim of twigs, that is 4 now in total! Still nowhere near being able to get the brush up there, huhhhhhhhh getting bored now will have another go tomorrow, at least I now have 4 black bags full of very small kindling

shegar

Best to book a sweep March/April time when you finish with the fire , Ive had the same sweep for years , when I phone his wife she give me a time and date and he always turns up, do a good job, costs £30.00, obviously im in no hurry to get it swept when im about to shut the fireplace up for the spring / summer ......
He has been doing it for 42 years in this area , no mess from him ,do a good job , and he as hundreds of regular yearly customers .............

Dont leave it until a month before xmas , then expect a sweep to come out the next day , it dont work like that..........

FR_262

Also, don't use wood straight from the tree. Let it mature for a couple of years. The sap from the wood could cause a fire in your chimney.

muckybutt

RickMoney wrote: »

Cheers for that. Can you advise at what period in the year things start to quieten down and I'll contact a guy around that time?

Also, I'm sure the sweep would advise the cap options but is there anywhere online I could have a look at some?

Thanks.

Rick

No rest no till April time for most of us, summer months are normally quiet providing we don't get too much wet stuff !

For chimney cowls - Google is your best pal