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Chimney Sweep in Kensington

Sooty & Sweeps are a family-run business with over 40 years’ experience, offering chimney sweeping and chimney cleaning in Kensington. Whether you have an open fire in a large Victorian house or a wood burner in a flat, our HETAS approved sweeps 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.

Chimneys in Kensington’s terraces

Kensington is known for its large Victorian terraces and stucco-fronted townhouses, along with mansion blocks, and a great many of the bigger houses have been divided into flats. In a converted house one stack can serve several flats, so it is worth knowing which fireplaces are live and which have been blocked up. Much of Kensington is a conservation area and many buildings are listed, so check with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea before changing a visible stack.

What a Kensington sweep includes

We use dust sheets and a vacuum, so your room is left clean.

More than sweeping

If the inspection shows a problem, we can help with the fix: chimney fault finding, integrity tests, camera inspections of the flue, cowls, caps and bird guards, nest removal, chimney stack repair, flue lining and wood-burning stove installation. See our chimney sweeping, flue liner and log burner installation pages for detail.

We also work in nearby Chelsea, Notting Hill, Holland Park and Knightsbridge. You can also see all our chimney sweeping areas in London, or contact us to book.

Common questions in Kensington

My Kensington house has been divided into flats. Is the chimney shared?

In converted houses one stack can serve several flats, so each flue in use should be swept and checked. We can tell you which fireplaces are live and which have been closed off.

Do I need consent to change a chimney in Kensington?

Much of Kensington is a conservation area and many buildings are listed, so external work on a stack may need consent. Check with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea first.

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 Kensington and across London.

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