Chimney Services
Chimney cleaning explained for Alderene Park
Questions every homeowner in Alderene Park should have answered before a chimney cleaning.
Sweeping from the roof or from below
Some chimneys are best cleaned from the top down, others from the fireplace up. Roof pitch, the cap, how the flue bends and how the fireplace opening is built all decide which way the brush travels on your chimney.
Either way, the room side is sealed first and the debris falls where we can collect it. If the cap has to come off for access, we check its screen and fasteners before it goes back on. On a steep or fragile roof we may clean from below and look at the top separately, and your service notes say which parts were reached from where. Whichever direction we use, the brush passes are repeated until the flue walls come clean.
The firebox and hearth
Ash and loose debris are cleared from the firebox, and the firebrick is brushed down so its surface can be seen. The grate or andirons come out and go back in, and the hearth in front of the opening is cleaned before we pack up.
With the brick clean, cracks, missing mortar between firebricks and chipped edges are easy to spot. We note what we see and whether it affects safe use. Firebox repair is priced separately, and a cleaning appointment never turns into repair work without your approval. We also carry the ash out of the house when we leave. If you use a grate, we check that it sits level and clear of the back wall, so logs burn where they should.
Fireplaces that have not been used in a while
A fireplace that has sat cold for a few seasons is not necessarily clean inside. Leaves, nesting material, fallen mortar and old deposits can all collect in an unused flue, and a cap that went missing long ago lets rain in to mix with the soot.
Before the first fire in a long time, we clean the flue, clear the shelf and firebox and look at what the brush reaches. If the chimney is blocked or the lining is damaged, you hear about it before anyone strikes a match. It is a sensible first visit after moving into a house with a fireplace you know little about. Tell us roughly how long the fireplace has been idle, and we will allow time for a slower first cleaning.
