Why should I sweep the chimney before I have a new fire installed?

Our fitting teams will fit your fireplace, even if it was purchased elsewhere. We cover the whole of London, Surrey and surrounding areas.

We install fireplaces on behalf of everyone from an excited eBay user to a property developer, local shop to internet website. We are here to help everyone have his or her fireplace fitted.

Why should I sweep the chimney before I have a new fire installed?

You should always have your chimney swept before installing a fireplace or stove to check that the chimneystack is safe and does not leak. If it is leaking, it means that carbon monoxide could leak into the rooms on yours or your neighbor's home, this could result in fatalities. It is also part of section J of building regulations.

How often should I sweep my chimney?

A chimney for a solid fuel fire should be swept twice every year. This is because burning solid fuel leaves soot on the inside of the chimney that needs to be removed. If it is not then it could cause a fire if hot embers are stuck on the deposits. For a gas fire, the chimney should be swept once a year.

Why should I have my chimney swept regularly?

Apart from stopping the chances of a chimney fire, you will make it easier for smoke to travel smoothly up and out of the chimneybreast. Your chimney sweep will also tell you if it is safe to use.

What else can my chimney sweep do for me?

Most chimney sweeps will replace pots and fit cowells or spinners. Some will undertake the repointing of brickwork. Normally you will be offered a discount for sweeping for than one chimney.

What is a cowl or spinner?

These metal parts are attached to the top of a chimney pot to aid the smoke to leave the chimneystack. They are also sometimes used to stop rain coming down the chimneybreast. They should not be used in conjunction with solid fuel fires.

Can you recommend a chimney sweep?

If you are local to us, we can recommend a chimney sweep. If not go to the NACS (National Association of Chimney Sweeps) website to find your local chimney sweep:

www.chimneyworks.co.uk/

When we arrive to fit a fireplace, you should have a certificate from a chimney sweep to say it is safe to use.

What do I do if my chimney is not safe to use?

You will have to have your chimney lined by a professional lining company. You will need a twin lined rigid liner for solid fuel or a flexible liner for a gas fireplace. We ca help recommend company's to do this for you,

How do I choose the correct fireplace?

You are going to be bound firstly by the size of the room and chimneybreast. If you live in a period property the chimneybreast will show you what was there originally by the width of the breast itself.

A small chimneybreast would normally have a cast iron combination fireplace, which is sometimes called cast iron bedroom fireplaces.

Chimneybreasts that have a larger width of more than 137cm wide would have normally had a marble surround and cast iron insert or hob grate or a basket. Most of the baskets have a gas fire option, all can be used with solid fuel. You could also choose a Limestone or wooden surround. We can make all marble and limestone surrounds smaller if required.

You may want to have a modern look and go for a hole-in-the-wall fireplace. Our fitters could build a hole in your wall fireplace for a basket to sit.

What is a T-shape hearth?

A T-shape hearth is where you have a front hearth and a back hearth that forms a t-shape, which complements and fits the inside shape of your builders opening. The are normally made from slate or black granite. We would normally make a site visit to take the correct measurements for this to be made.

What is a solid fuel fire?

A solid fuel fire is a fire that uses a solid fuel like wood, coal, peat, or smokeless fuel if you live in a smokeless area.

What is a smokeless zone?

Please see our Smoke Control Questions section on our FAQ's page for all questions on smokeless areas.

What is the benefit of a solid fuel fire?

A solid fuel fire normally burns at a higher temperature than a gas fire. It has a better flame! It is also a more sustainable fuel source and better for the environment, especially if you use sustainable wood. If your chimney is swept regularly, it will also be better for your chimneystack over the years. It creates a higher heat and this will heat your home more. You can close the flue cover to reduce drafts coming down your chimney if you have a combination fireplace.

What is the benefit of a gas fire?

A gas fire is much quicker to light when you want the heat from a fire. You do not need a vent in the room if the fire is under 7 K/W. It can be turned off when you need to go out.

What is the disadvantage of a solid fuel fire?

A solid fuel fire will need the soot cleaning away. They also take a little time to prepare, but this is half the joy! They do leave soot in the chimney that needs to be swept regularly. If the fire is in constant use, then it should be swept twice per year. A solid fuel fire can remain alight and hot for several hours after the last piece of fuel has been added.

What is the disadvantage of a gas fire?

A gas fire does not give out the same heat output as a solid fuel fire. It cannot be used to burn anything else apart from gas. You will need a gas feed next to the chimneybreast. It may need to be checked every year by obtaining a gas safety certificate from a CORGI engineer, you are renting the property. Due to the low heat of a gas fire, the carbon monoxide can sit for longer in the chimneystack. When the fire is turned off this causes condensation in the stack, when the two mix it causes the water to become mildly acidic. Over years of usage, this may cause the corrosion of the mortar inside the breast. The chimney sweep would be able to see this damage for you when the sweep the fireplace. This is not normally a problem for people, as they do not use the gas fire as a primary heat source. A gas combination fireplace has to have the flue cover fixed permanently, as it is a gas appliance.

A site survey will normally need to be completed. If you were some distance from us, we would ask for the following information, so that we can know what needs to be done prior to fitting the fireplace. When we conduct a site survey, we check all the following points in order.

Do we need to remove the existing fireplace?

We are able to remove the existing fireplace to the front of the property for our customers. We would check to see if the old fireplace used gas to see if we need to have it the gas disconnected.

What is a constructional hearth and is it present?

A constructional hearth needs to be present to conform to section J of building regulations. It must be at least 150mm thick and made from none combustible material like concrete. This is to stop the embers and heat transferring from the fire and into the wooden floors, joists and eves of the house and creating a house fire that would involve the fire brigade being called.

Why does the constructional hearth have to be measured?

It has to be measured to make sure that the decorative hearth will cover it. It also has to conform to section J of building regulations requirements.

What is a decorative hearth?

A decorative hearth is the term officially given to the hearth that you fit the fireplace on top of, they are normally made from slate, black granite, marble or limestone. It is fitted on top of the constructional hearth. It must be raised 50mm from the floor level. For a solid fuel fire, it needs to be 18 inch deep, for a gas fire it needs to be 15 inch deep and in can be made from 1 piece. A decorative hearth made for use with a solid fuel fire needs to be cut into a minimal of three sections and reassembled, this is to allow for heat expansion and to stop it from cracking under the heat of the fire.

What is the width of the chimneybreast?

We take this simply to see what the maximum size of a mantle can be. It also shows us what type of fireplace would have originally been there.

Is the fireplace/ builders opening bricked up?

If bricks or plasterboard has covered up the fireplace opening, we would have to remove this when we install the fireplace. If the fireplace were to be used, we would put hole in this for the chimney sweep to get access to the chimneystack for the sweeping to take place. This can be done when we do a site survey. Depending on what floor the fireplace was to be fitted, we can work out what the opening would be. Often we can increase the opening as required.

What size is the builders opening?

We would take the height, width and depth measurements of the opening to see if it needs making smaller or larger once the type of fireplace has been decided upon.

Does the Lintel needed to be moved higher?

The lintel is what supports the weight of the bricks that are above the builders opening. They are traditionally made from bricks and can sometimes have a cast-iron bar to help support them when they were originally being built. They can also be made from wood. The Lintel sometimes needs to be raised when fitting some cast iron insert fireplaces.

Is there a gas supply?

If there is, a gas supply this may need to be disconnected if a solid fuel fire is going in. Alternatively, if a gas fire is going in we will need to lay copper pipes through the chimneybreast to hide the 8mm pipe.

Are there vents in the room, are they going to be required?

We would note if there were any vents in the room and suggest the best place for them if they are needed. We would calculate the size of the vent required once we know what type of fire is going to be fitted.

What type of flooring will be there when we fit or shortly after?

If wooden flooring were going to be installed after we fit the fireplace, we would make the risers on the hearth larger, so that the height of the hearth will still be 50mm above floor level, when it is installed.

What are risers?

Risers support the main slab of the hearth and are made from the same material you are having for your hearth.

What is the difference between boxed and lipped or boxed flush risers?

All our standard hearths are made with the risers boxed and lipped. This is where the supporting risers are set back from the edge of the main slab. Boxed flush risers are assembled to the edge of the hearth, so that they are flush with the edge. This gives the appearance that the hearth is a larger solid slab of slate, granite, marble or limestone. With both options the edges are polished along with the rest of the hearth.

We would supply a written quotation after our site visit for you records that would list the work required to fit the fireplace and the price. Our quotes are guaranteed for a period of 30 days.

Most of our goods are delivered within 3-4 days of the order being processed. Some hearths and fireplaces take about 7 working days to make at peak times. If we fitting we would take the delivery and bring the items with us on the day normally unless otherwise advised. We normally take a deposit over the phone, which can be paid for via any credit or debit card. The remaining amount is to be paid on site by cash or by card, our fitting teams carry portable card machines for your convenience.s.

How long will it take?

Before we start we will give you an idea of how long we expect it to take us. If it is a large job, we will assign more people to the job to try to get it done in one day preferably.

How long will I have to wait for a fitting?

We normally have a waiting time of 7-10 days to install fireplaces, during peak times this can increase to 2 weeks.

Shall I take my carpet up in the room where the fireplace is going?

Yes, we require that this has been taken up and rolled to one side of the room. If not then we will cover the carpet with dustsheets and plastic under sheeting but cannot be held responsible for any damage.

Do you plaster as standard or finish off skirting boards?

We can arrange for a plasterer to visit, but it is not part of our standard cost. Sometimes it is best for the fireplace to be fitted before or after we have been. We would advise on these early on in discussions. We will make the fireplace safe to use, the fitters do not paint, plaster or fit skirting boards as part of the standard process. It is up to the fitter on the day if they want to put the skirting boards on. A professional carpenter should do this.

How do I maintain my fireplace or hearth?

If you have a slate or black granite hearth, we will leave you with a tub of free wax to keep your hearth in top condition. For everything else, ask your fireplace fitter on the day and they will be able to give advice on how to clean it.

How long until I can use the fire?

For solid fuel fires, we advise that they should be allowed to set for at least 48 hours. Gas fires can normally be used straight away.

Will my fireplace stop the drafts coming down my fireplace?

If you have a solid fuel combination fireplace fitted, you will be able to close the flue cover when you are not using the fireplace, this will reduce the amount of heat loss when the fire is not in use.

Do you require parking outside?

We require parking outside as our vans are in constant use through the fitting, we therefore require parking permits or a bay to be suspended for our use during the fitting. If we cannot park within 30 metres, we will charge an additional cost to cover the cost of taking everything out of the van and reloading it at the end of the job. This fee is currently £50..