Around Norfolk and Suffolk the signs of spring have been visible for a while. A few weeks ago I saw an incredible blanket of bluebells covering the ground beneath trees along the side of the (very long) driveway up to a customers house. While, visually, spring has arrived the low temperatures have kept fires burning, but warmer weather is finally approaching signalling the end of another burning season and the perfect opportunity to take care of your chimney.
Spring is the perfect season for homeowners to tackle those important maintenance tasks essential to keeping your home in great condition. Chimney sweeping often gets overlooked until the cold snap hits again, but early maintenance can help prolong the life of your chimney or liner and leave your fire ready to burn as soon as the cold weather returns the following Autumn. You will also get to avoid the hassle of trying to get your chimney swept at the time of year when sweeps are at their busiest and often booked up weeks if not months in advance.
Even when burning well seasoned dry wood and using the air controls effectively, a layer of soot will build up inside the chimney / liner. When soot combines with water vapour, from condensation or rain entering from above, the acids produced can be corrosive to metal flues, chimney lining or mortar between the bricks of a chimney. Removing the soot reduces these effects keeping your liner and chimney in better condition for longer.
This approach is best suited to chimneys that have a guard fitted on top of the chimney pot to be sure that no birds can make their way into the chimney and block it with a nest. If you do not have a guard on top of your chimney you may be better off getting it swept closer to the next time you light the fire to be sure nothing is blocking the chimney. Alternatively you could go ahead and have your chimney swept in the spring and ask your sweep to fit a guard while they are there.
Bring on the sunshine
Comments