• WILL THERE BE A MESS?

              No.The fireplace is sealed off using a cloth adjusted to the size of your fireplace and taped in place. Care is taken to

              ensure that the seal is not broken during sweeping and to ensure the soot is removed without creating a mess. You

              may experience a smell from the vacuum exhaust for a short time.

• WHAT AREAS DO YOU COVER?

              I cover a wide area which includes :-

              Cardiff         Machen        Newport       Caerphilly      Pontypridd       Penarth        Barry       Vale of Glamorgan

              Trethomas   Bedwas        Llantrisant    Beddau 

• WHY SHOULD I HAVE MY CHIMNEY SWEPT?

              Chimneys should be swept regularly to reduce the risk of a fire. It also helps the safe venting of the products of

              combustion. Cardbon monoxide can be fatal and frequent cleaning improves the chances of problems being

              detected.

• WHAT PREPARATIONS SHOULD I UNDERTAKE?

              It is helpful if you could clear out the grate, move back anything in front of the fireplace and clear the surround/

              mantlepiece. Do not worry if you do not have time I can do this.

• DO YOU REMOVE BIRDS NESTS ETC?

              Yes, but the nest must not be an active one. If you suspect you have a blockage then please let me know when you

              book. The time taken to remove a blockage can vary considerably. However long it takes I will not charge you more

              than the maximum I quoted when booking the job.

• WHY IS MY FIREPLACE SMOKING BACK?

              The stack might terminate in a high pressure zone causing a downdraft.

              The wind may cause a downdraft.

              The flue could be blocked or need sweeping.

              The flue may be cold causing lack of updraft.

              The size of the fireplace might not be compatible with the cross sectional area and height of the flue.

              The grate might be too far forward.

• WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BURNING WOOD?

              Recently cut wood has a high water content. Dried logs mean a cleaner chimney and less flue fires/ failures. Wet

              wood means that the resins in the wood do not combust and escape up into the chimney. The resins form a lining

              which is highly combustible. Also this tar lining is corrosive and so attacks the chimney structure.  You could

              always try using a moisture meter to check the water content, I believe stoves on line sell them. It is always best

              to purchase hardwood as the higher density of such wood produces more heat for a given volume. You could try

              Cardiff technoscapes for a log supplies.

              If you reduce the amount of air going into a stove this will reduce the temperature of the products of combustion

              entering the chimney. This in turn will reduce the amount of amount of combustion products escaping from the

              chimney stack and tar will form in the flue.  A stove thermometer can help you avoid this problem. It is usually

              best when purchasing a stove to buy one slightly smaller than you might think as you will tend to run this at a

              higher temperature thus raising the temperature in the chimney and so reduce the chance of tar formation.

              Sometimes when your chimney is swept a kind of crispy material comes down the chimney.This is the material

              that is left if solid tar has burnt off in the flue, in effect you have had a chimney fire and not even known it. Please

              do not try and set fire to the chimney to try and clear the flue of tar it can burn at vey high temperatures (1200 deg

              C I am told) and so can cause serious amounts of damage.

       TELEPHONE:  029 20577739

           MOBILE:  07894 904659

           EMAIL:  familylowe@talktalk.net

Philip Lowe Chimney Sweep trading as Fire and Flue Cardiff