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We’ve been in our house just over a year now and had the chimney swept by a professional last autumn. We now need to get it swept again, ready for the winter, but my question is, should we continue to get the sweep in or should I do it myself? I’ve just called and the sweep we were recommended, but he only works mornings and has quite a long waiting list, others in the area are double the cost.
Having watched him last year I recon I can do it, it’s a fairly new chimney (1970’s / 80’s) in good condition and we don’t light the fire too often.
I’ve had a quick look on the B&Q website and can get a brush set for less than the cost of having the chimney swept once!
Does anyone on here sweep your own chimney? If so all advice would be greatly received,
+1
Interested. We need ours swept before winter. How much do the professional charge you JEngledow?
The only issue I have with chimney sweeps is that the chimney I get always finishes last 😆
+1 on the interest front. Mrs NBT got a "professional" sweep in on a recommendation from a local shop and was not impressed with his professionalism. Talked to the chaps in the local fireplace shop about his methods and they were ahgast!
We were charged £25, but I was also quoted £50 by others.
For me it's not as much about the cost as it is about having to take time off work to be in for the sweep.
doing it yourself it fairly easy - its just the mess thats a pain in arse. get some good dust sheets and have a pop at it yourself.
our normal chimney sweep charges £30-35 a go
DIY, Ive had mine done twice, its not rocket science. Im going to buy the brushes next time. Dust sheets cut to size and taped in place should avoid most of the mess.
Hmmm.. I think £30 would be about worth it, given that I'm bound to cack it up and cover the living room in soot.
What do you burn and what do you burn it on? Some circumstances would say every year isn't necessary...
I'm burning seasoned logs, whatever scrap wood / tree cuttings happens to be lying around, paper, coal, pretty much anything inflammable. 😀
On/in...?
On/in...?
Something a little bit like this, but attached to the wall rather than hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room like a big poncy skin-graft-waiting-to-happen.
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(I'm not the OP BTW, I'm just hijacking, sorry OP)
Before I changed our open fire to a woodburner, I used to sweep the chimney every year, dead easy. I made a plywood board with some foam around the edges and a foam covered slit in the middle front for the rods to go through. Then put a rod through the hole with the brush on, press the board tight up to the fire place and off you go adding rods.
Most important thing is to only turn the rods clockwise so as to tighten them and not undo them as you sweep.
Follow on: To do woodburners the best way is to get on the roof and do it top down with the woodburner closed and dust sheeted over.
Close all door and windows to the room, leaving them open may caused soot to be drawn into the room.
Dust sheets to the floor area, the ones with the spill protection would be best.Tape dust sheets to the walls, floors(use masking tape) leaving just a small opening for the rods to be added, also insert a vacuum cleaner hose to suck up most the dust, gradually clean the flue by adding more rods and pulling/pushing the brush, keep going till it goes stack and if possible get someone else to go outside and look to see if the brush has popped out of the chimney stack, when the complete length of flue is brushed, slowly withdraw the rods wiping them as they are drawn out of the dust sheet seal, once all the rods are out and your left with just the brush in the fire place, do nothing for ten or so mins and have a cuppa, make sure vacuum isn't over heating.
If you leave the room make sure you've no soot on your clothes that may fall off as you leave the room, to clean up tap the dust sheet so most the dust falls off it, then un tape the bottom of the sheet and slowly empty the fire place of soot, it's very light and dusty so will blow about if you're not gentle with it, onec you've removed the majority of the soot, peal the tape from the walls and fold the sheet in over it's self so the dusty side is wrapped inside, roll up and place in a bin bag and set aside on the floor sheet.
Vacuum the remaining soot from fireplace including fire back and sides, beware of the direction that the cooling fan on the vacuum is blowing.
Vaccuum any soot from your overals and remove all dust sheets from room, wrapping rods and brush in the floor sheet.
Shake out all dusty things with the wind in the right direction, with your neighbours property in mind.
Wear overals and dust mask and when adding/removing rods keep a good seal on the sheet.
I'm not a sweep but have used this technique many times without the need to clean the whole room afterwards.
I think I'll give this a go. Thanks for the tips. I haven't done my flue since I put it in 2 years ago. Looks good value.
Follow on: To do woodburners the best way is to get on the roof and do it top down with the woodburner closed and dust sheeted over.
And to follow on from the follow on - and make sure all the vents are closed otherwise your smug thoughts at how easy it is to clean compared to an open fire are quickly dispelled when you go back into the house and see soot everywhere.
Anyway - I asked because I would have thought that an open fire would need cleaning every year but a woodburner, as it burns way hotter, will burn off more of the soot. BUT - burn wet logs and you could end up with a sticky sappy mess up there waiting to catch light the next time you get your fire too hot...
❗ It's a good way to bond with your house, not enough people have quality time getting hands on with their house these day. Remember to talk to the fireplace and let it know what you're doing.
Remember to talk to the fireplace and let it know what you're doing.
Do I have to buy it dinner first? Should I just get stuck in, or fiddle with the grating a bit first?
Chim Chim Charooooo
£50 is cheaper than anything we ever had, let alone £30.
One year a guy quoted me £80 for 2 chimneys. He did one of them and claimed that no, he meant £80 each. £160! Stick it up there with a long brush mate.
get a metal Brush Head rather than a flimsy nylon one makes a better job
jim
ps and the right size
My Father in Law uses a holly bush tied to a piece of rope. He drops the rope down the chimney and them pulls the bush down. Then pulls it back up again, Costs him nothing.
I got a bloke in and it was £25 without the hassle of cleaning up afterwards.
Ok, £160 and I might say, yeah, try it your self but for £30 - £50...you'd be mad not to GSI surely??