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Chimney Sweep Rickmansworth

At Ansell Chimneys, we know how important it is for you to keep your chimney in tip top working order. It's not just a case of good housekeeping, it could save lives! So don't risk letting your chimney get clogged up and dangerous, call the professionals in today!

All installations carried out by
Qualified HETAS Registered Fitters.

Why not call Ansell Chimneys now for a free quote

If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 01923 661 614, email us at info@ansellchimneys.co.uk or fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

Ansell Chimneys for service you can trust

Whether you have an open fire or a solid fuel stove in your Rickmansworth property, there is one thing that you won't want to put off for too long and that is a chimney sweep.

Chimney sweeps can literally be the difference between life and death, as failure to keep your chimney clean is potentially lethal.

The creosote that builds up over time will not only be carcinogenic, but it will be extremely flammable too. A chimney fire is no joke and has the potential to destroy your entire property, so keeping that chimney in tip top condition is a priority for the responsible homeowner.

Our chimney sweeps who work in and around the Rickmansworth area are prompt, clean, thorough and professional. They will ensure that your chimney is left free of any creosote fouling and your room will be left spotless too.

A clean chimney, a clean bill of health

Having a solid fuel stove is considered to be a lot healthier heating source compared to other sources. The solid fuel stove can significantly reduce the amount of condensation so therefore decreases the amount of damp in your house. The chimney can also bring fresh air into the house, whilst removing the contaminated air out of the house.

Clearly, decreasing the amount of damp and mould is bound to improve a person's health as they will be living in better conditions and will be able to breathe fresh air rather than stagnant, polluted air.

Of course, having a solid fuel stove means that you will require a method of removing smoke and other emissions from it and an effective, clean and working chimney is a vital bed fellow of the open fire or solid fuel stove.

The benefits of a clean chimney

A clean chimney in your Rickmansworth property offers many benefits, including increased heating efficiency as well as preventing the chances of experiencing a chimney fire, corrosion in the chimney, and excessive, choking smoke to infuriate you and your neighbours.

Safety first in Rickmansworth

Preventing a chimney fire is a must, as the damage that can result could potentially destroy your entire property, or worse. A chimney fire is essentially a fire within the chimney that can reach a temperature of over 2,000 degrees. It often starts owing to a serious build-up of creosote within the flue of the chimney. Any such fire can damage the chimney and start a house fire. So a regular chimney sweeping regime is a must.

Ensure longevity of your chimney structure with a regular sweep

Soot and creosote are very acidic substances and will eat away at metal and mortar alike, causing the fabric of your chimney to deteriorate. Many years ago, fireplace ashes were a known caustic substance and lye was made by dripping water through ash. Lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching wood ashes, or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in water producing caustic basic solutions. Lye most commonly refers to sodium hydroxide, but historically has been used for potassium hydroxide. Therefore, you should prevent corrosion of the chimney system by engaging the services of a chimney sweep on a regular basis.

Smoke is a real problem

Prevent smoke problems. The build-up of soot and creosote in a chimney reduces its diameter and restricts its flow capacity. The last thing you want is for smoke to be forced back into your living space as well as causing an environmental issue should thick smoke rise from the chimney due to creosote and soot fouling.

A clean chimney is an efficient chimney

The unwanted build-up of soot and creosote in a chimney can also affect the optimum draft that delivers efficient heating. In solid fuel and wood stoves, soot and creosote can act as an insulator and restrict the full amount of heat produced from entering the room. Having a chimney sweep out regularly to your Rickmansworth home will ensure this never becomes an issue.

Soot and creosote can smell pretty horrible too, particularly when the rains make everything wet. The smell can become rather invasive in the home, so a good clean is vital.

Birds in the chimney

Sometimes birds can become stuck, or simply die in the chimney they have chosen to nest in. Now firstly, a nest or nesting materials that have been deposited in a chimney can be a hazard in themselves, blocking the flue and restricting the escape of dangerous emissions from the fire.

An animal that expires in a chimney will soon begin to decompose and the stench can be quite overpowering. The dreadful odour may even last for several weeks, until the entire creature has decomposed fully.

We can clear any such blockage quickly, but we also fit bird cowls that will stop birds or squirrels from gaining access in the first place. The cowls will also prevent leaf litter and other debris from entering the chimney, so they are a good all round defence against any form of blockage caused by foreign matter entering the chimney.

Keep ahead of any damage

Soot and creosote can cover up cracks and other damage in a chimney, so it is recommended that a chimney be cleaned in order to carry out a proper inspection. A qualified chimney sweep will be able to detect any deterioration within the chimney once the soot and creosote has been effectively removed.

Last but not least, chimney sweeps are meant to be bringers of good luck, which is why many used to hire one to attend their wedding many years ago. At Ansell Chimneys we tend not to rely on luck, but a solid foundation of professional working practices to ensure that you, your family and your home remain safe.

So if you live in the Rickmansworth are of Hertfordshire, why not drop us a line and arrange a sweeps visit. We can schedule a regular visit, so you are never left in a position of being without heating due to a dirty chimney ever again.

Prevent unwanted visitors in Rickmansworth with a chimney cowl

The very last thing you want in your chimney is a nest causing a blockage, making your chimney unusable. Not only do nesting creatures stop you from using your fire due to a blocked chimney, but chicks and sometimes the adult birds fall down and the sound of them chirping and flapping around behind your fire can be pretty distressing. They will undoubtedly die there too, creating the worst smell imaginable. The smell from the decomposition of a bird may last for several months, unless the corpse is removed.

Birds and other tree nesting animals like squirrels normally use trees for their nest building, but with urbanisation, the number of trees has been greatly reduced, leading to nests being built in peoples chimneys.

Unfortunately, the nests end up blocking the chimney flue and prevent smoke and dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide from escaping in the way they are supposed to.

All of these problems can be prevented by fitting a simple chimney bird guard. Chimney Cowls, rain caps and bird guards are available from us in a wide range of colours and also in stainless steel.

Cowls help to prevent downdraught, leaf litter and other debris from entering the chimney, with rain and bird entry also prevented with these simple yet highly effective additions to your chimney.

So, it's not just worth booking a chimney sweep to call at your Rickmansworth home to clean the chimney, a good chimney sweep will also be able to advise the best solution to prevent any of the issues mentioned above and fit a suitable cowl to your chimney.

The history of Rickmansworth

There is evidence that there was a settlement in the Rickmansworth part of the Colne valley at about the time of the Stone Age. Rickmansworth was one of five manors with which the great Abbey of St Albans had been given when it was founded in 793 by King Offa. Local taxes that had been levied supported the abbey, which provided clergy to serve the people until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 under the religious reforming rule of King Henry VIII. Around the time of the Domesday Book, the population of Rickmansworth may have been about two hundred inhabitants.

The infamous Cardinal and Rickmansworth

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Abbot of St Albans, held the Manor of le More in the valley. The manor house was replaced by Moor Park, which eventually became the residence of Admiral Lord Anson, who commissioned Capability Brown to remake the formal gardens; it is now the Golf Club House. The wider area, including Croxley Green, Moor Park, Batchworth, Mill End, West Hyde and Chorleywood, formed the original parish of Rickmansworth.

The meteoric rise of Thomas Wolsey under King Henry VIII led him to become Archbishop of York, a Cardinal and the King's Lord Chancellor. In the meantime he had been Bishop of Lincoln, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop of Durham, Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of St. Albans.

Growth in Rickmansworth

By 1851, the population of Rickmansworth had grown to nearly five thousand people, and the parish became divided. St Mary's Church serves the parish concentrated in the town of Rickmansworth itself and extending to Batchworth and parts of Moor Park. Rickmansworth had a population of 14,571 according to the 2001 census.

The three rivers of Rickmansworth

The three rivers of Rickmansworth were at the centre of local industry. The rivers Colne, Chess and Gade, provided water for the now redundant watercress trade. They also provided power for corn milling; silk weaving, paper making and brewing, like the watercress trade, these are also long forgotten industries in the Rickmansworth area. Other industries around Rickmansworth have included leather tanning, soft drinks manufacturing, soya processing, laundry, straw plaiting and stocking production. Now there are commercial offices and commuter homes, and the rivers, canal and flooded gravel pits are use predominantly for local recreation such as sailing and fishing.

West Mill, a water mill, existed at the time of the Domesday Survey. It was leased to the abbot and convent of St Albans by Ralph Bukberd for a number of years ending in 1539. In 1533, they leased it from the end of this term for twenty six years to Richard Wilson of Watford. The mill was leased in 1544 to William Hutchinson, yeoman of the spicery, and Janet his wife for the entirety of their lives. There was also a water mill known as Batchworth Mill, and a fishery called Blacketts Mill in Rickmansworth. Batchworth Mill was later used as a cotton mill, but was bought in 1820 and converted into paper mills; the place is now the site of Affinity Water. Scotsbridge Mill was also productive but now is home to a restaurant with the unusual feature of a river and waterfall running through it. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries many of the inhabitants of Rickmansworth were described as 'clothiers,' which would indicate that cloth was at one time manufactured in the parish, but this industry has long since ceased. In the early 1800's, there were also silk and flock mills in Rickmansworth.

There was a long running dispute over water levels in the Batchford area, following construction of the Grand Junction Canal, which were resolved in 1825, when an obelisk that stood over eight feet tall was erected in a pond to act as a water gauge. The obelisk records the agreement made between the canal company, John Dickinson who was the miller at Batchworth Mill, and R. Williams of Moor Park, who was the landowner at the time in this part of Rickmansworth.

Don't delay, book an appointment in Rickmansworth today

By making an appointment with us to call at your Rickmansworth home, you will be ensuring that you will have no nasty surprises when it's time to light your fire or solid fuel stove.

Why wait until you need to heat your Rickmansworth home, only to discover that you have a blockage that a cowl could have prevented, or the inside of your chimney is caked in baked on creosote from last year's usage?

Call Ansell Chimneys today for an appointment, we will visit you in Rickmansworth at the agreed time and date and ensure that you are ready to take on the chilliest of evenings with complete peace of mind.

Why not call Ansell Chimneys now for a free quote

If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 01923 661 614, email us at info@ansellchimneys.co.uk or fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.