Chimney Sweep services in South Oxhey, Hertfordshire

Ansell Chimneys regular service properties in and around the South Oxhey area. Our mission is to ensure that every property in South Oxhey and beyond is safe. We do this by making sure that every chimney we inspect, sweep or repair is drawing correctly, so no toxic fumes from an open fire or a solid or wood burning stove can get back into the room,

South Oxhey chimney sweep services to prepare for winter.

Settling down for a long, cold winters evening in front of a roaring fire is something we all look forward to. Real flames are relaxing as well as warming, but if the chimney isn't kept clean, you could easily be risking the health and even the life of your entire family.

Real flame fires and stoves are two of the leading sources of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Incidents such as these could have been prevented if homeowners had taken the time to engage the services of a professional chimney sweep for chimney cleaning and safety inspection.

What do our chimney sweeps do in South Oxhey?

We remove blockages

Chimneys can get blocked up with all sorts of debris, from sticks and leaves, to bird and squirrel nests. Quite a few animal species like to make their homes in chimneys during the spring and summer. If you light a fire in your fireplace or stove when the flue is blocked by an animal, nest or some other debris, you could start a fire. You could also become exposed to carbon monoxide, as the blockage will prevent this toxic gas to escape. When smoke isn't able to completely escape through the chimney, it will come back into your home increasing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Many people believe that a roaring fire with some damp paper to create excess smoke, will smoke out the animal, or burn away any debris, but this practice is incredibly dangerous. Many homeowners who try this have accidentally start a house fire instead. Hiring a professional chimney sweep that has experience removing animals and their nests and other debris is the safest way to prepare your chimney for the colder months.

We clean away creosote

Creosote is a dark, tar-like or glassy substance on the walls of the chimney? Creosote is a highly flammable, chemical compound that forms in chimneys when you burn wood. Unseasoned wood, that carries a higher concentration of water and softwoods produce the most creosote.

Creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires and house fires. High temperatures or a stray spark can easily ignite it. Large accumulations of creosote can burn for long periods of time at extremely hot temperatures. Even when the fire stays in the flue, it can cause serious structural damage to your chimney and the surrounding building.

Not only is creosote dangerous, it is pretty difficult to remove on your own without professional chimney sweeps that will have the correct cleaners and equipment.

We check for damage or structural problems

Every part of a chimney, from the mortar, the bricks, the damper system, flue and crow, must be in good condition to protect your home from water damage, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Like anything functional, chimney systems can get damaged and deteriorate because they are exposed to extremes of weather, very high temperatures and corrosive chemical compounds. Many chimney problems go unnoticed until the problem becomes serious. This will not happen if the chimney is professionally inspected on a regular basis. Without the right equipment and experience, it's difficult to know what's going on inside a chimney.

Cracked chimney crowns, damaged flue liners and warped dampers are common problems that are often discovered through a chimney inspection. Diagnosing problems such as these early is important, as it can save you from having to shell out on expensive repairs in the future.

We keep your insurance policy valid

Not many people realise that some home insurance policies insist on a regular chimney inspection and clean. This is quite a common requirement for homeowner's insurance. Most insurance companies will not cover damage caused by a fireplace or woodstove if you do not have proof that the chimney has been cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

It is a good idea to take a look at your homeowner's insurance to see if this is a requirement. If it is, make sure that you are issued with the proper documentation following the chimney sweeps visit.

We prolong the life of your chimney and stove

The flue liner is the chimney system's first line of defence against a house fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. The liner insulates the rest of the chimney from the high temperatures of the fire and corrosive chemicals that are contained in smoke. They also prevent sparks and carbon monoxide from finding their way into your home through cracks in the bricks and mortar.

Large build ups of creosote and soot will cause flue liners to deteriorate, because they trap in moisture that corrodes the liner. Having the flue cleaned at least once a year helps it to stay in better condition so that it lasts longer.

We make your stove or fire more efficient

The efficiency of your fireplace or solid fuel stove is important for a couple of reasons. The first reason is concerning the environment, as depending on what you burn, it is likely going to be better for the planet than fossil fuels such as gas or coal. The second reason and one that is certainly in the news a lot at the moment, and that is reducing your heating costs, because energy bills are soaring. When a fire burns fuel efficiently it produces more heat and less smoke. This means you'll be able to keep your home at a comfortable temperature without overloading the firebox and the fire won't produce as many harmful emissions.

Arranging for a chimney sweep to call well before you intend to start using your fire makes sense and will save you money in the long run. The chimney sweeps cleaning process will remove any obstruction that could limit or cut off the supply of oxygen that the fire needs to burn efficiently. By fixing small problems that we discover during our inspection, will improve overall fireplace efficiency by ensuring the chimney system is fully functioning.

A park to visit in South Oxhey

Oxhey Park was formed in 1924 and is a lovely public park situated just South of Watford. Oxhey Park had a new playground opened in 2011 and considerable improvement works were conducted in 2013, this lead to the park being awarded green flag status in 2014. The river Colne runs through Oxhey Park, making it perfect for watching wild foul such as ducks, swans, grebes, coots and moorhens. Oxhey Park also has slopes that make it a popular destination in winter for sledging.

Nature reserve in South Oxhey

South Oxhey has some glorious woodland for local people to enjoy. Oxhey woods is a ninety eight hectare nature reserve in South Oxhey, it is owned and managed by Three Rivers District Council and is a very popular piece of land with local residents and visitors to South Oxhey alike. It is mainly semi-natural woodland, and some areas date back to the last Ice Age. The range of habitats makes it an important ecological site. Plants include bluebells, anemones and violets and the rare wild service tree.

History of South Oxhey

South Oxhey is a large estate built on land that was formerly part of the Oxhey Hall Estate. There was a manor house here, Oxhey Place, and a chapel. The manor house was owned by the Blackwell family of Crosse and Blackwell foodstuffs. The manor house burnt down in 1960. Oxhey Chapel dates from 1612 and is still standing to the south of the parish church of All Saints. The church was opened in 1954 to serve the new estate built after the Second World War by the London County Council. The church was demolished and rebuilt in 2000.

Since the introduction of the conservative led right to buy policy, set out by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1980, many South Oxhey residents have bought their homes from the local council, meaning that by 2007, about seventy percent of the houses on the estate were privately owned. The estate was built after the Second World War to help ease the housing pressures in London caused by the Blitz, as well as generally inadequate housing, with prisoners of war helping with the construction of some buildings.

South Oxhey was originally built and managed by the London County Council and later the Greater London Council. In 1980 the ownership and management of the South Oxhey estate was transferred from the GLC to Three Rivers District Council.

So if you live in or around the South Oxhey area and have a working chimney, stay safe by having Ansell Chimneys service your property on a regular basis. We often set up a reminder service for our customers so they are never left in the cold because they have forgotten to have their chimney swept in good time for the colder winter months.

Ansell Chimneys are in the South Oxhey area regularly and have a long list of very satisfied customers. So no matter what heating appliance you have, if you have a working chimney, we can visit to ensure it is clean, safe and efficient.

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.