Chimney sweep Hampstead

Chimney Sweep in Hampstead

Sooty & Sweeps are a family-run business with over 40 years’ experience, offering chimney sweeping and chimney cleaning in Hampstead. Whether you have an open fire in a Victorian terrace, a wood-burning stove in a family house or a gas fire in a flat, we can sweep it, inspect it and give you a certificate for your insurer.

We’ll give you a final quote before any work starts, and you’ll get a HETAS certificate afterwards that your home insurer will accept.

Hampstead’s older houses and their chimneys

Hampstead is known for its Victorian and Edwardian houses and large period villas, and much of the area is a conservation area. Chimneys in houses of that age were built for coal, and many have never been relined, so a flue that was fine for an open fire can be a poor fit for a modern stove. If you are planning a wood burner, a flue liner is usually part of the job, and we can inspect the existing flue first so you know where you stand.

Because so many Hampstead homes are in a conservation area, check with Camden Council before changing anything visible on a chimney stack. Routine sweeping does not need consent.

What a Hampstead sweep includes

• Visual inspection of the chimney stack, chimney pot and cowl
• Visual inspection of any appliance and installation for safety and compliance (HETAS)
• Chimney sweeping (ensuring no blockages are present)
• Smoke evacuation test of chimney flue
• Visual inspection of CO alarm
• HETAS approved certificate of Chimney Sweeping (home insurance approved)

In addition to the above service, we offer additional chimney inspection and chimney maintenance services including:

• Chimney fault finding
• Chimney integrity tests
• Camera inspections of chimney flue
• Supply and installation of chimney cowls
• Supply and installation of chimney caps
• Supply and installation of chimney bird guards
• Down draft and all-weather solutions
• Chimney stack repair

We also install wood-burning stoves and line flues; our flue liner and log burner installation pages have the detail. We also work in nearby West Hampstead, Golders Green, Highgate and Chalk Farm. See all our London areas, or contact us for a quote.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How often should I have my flue swept?

HETAS recommends yearly when burning smokeless fuels, twice a year when burning wood or bituminous coal. The reason it is recommended to have a chimney sweep regularly is because soot builds up inside your flue which can cause a fire hazard, leaving your chimney sweeps too long can cause buildups of soot to the point where smoke can instead of leaving through the chimney leave through your fireplace. This is dangerous as your house can then have a build up of carbon monoxide.

What is involved in Sweeping?

Sweeping a chimney usually requires a good amount of patience and plenty of time to devote to the task (at least half a day to a full day) as well as the having the correct equipment and the right attitude! Chimney sweeping is undoubtedly a messy job so a good amount of pre-planning is paramount, make sure your room is covered in any type of sheet you can find, making sure your furniture is covered too. If you look up your chimney and can’t see straight up it, you may have a blockage, though we recommend hiring a professional if this is the case sometimes the debris is just built up soot or a birds nest. Sometimes though it can be a structural integrity issue such as a misplaced brick that will need professional attention.

If choosing to maintain your own chimney instead of hiring professionals, you will need to be aware that it is important to check for structural damage on a regular basis, small cracks and chips can be patched up alone but large cracks will need the aid of a DIY manual or hiring a professional. Sooty and Sweeps have years of experience in dealing with structural problems in chimneys, our expert advice may be what you need!

Sooty and Sweeps for all your flue sweeping needs in Hampstead and across London.