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Ansell Chimneys

chimney sweep

stove installation

Full range of multi fuel and wood burning stoves

Chimney Sweep in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire

Chimney sweeping in Chorleywood

Chorleywood is a lovely village in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire. It had a population of 6,814 people at the time of the 2001 census. The parish of Chorleywood has a population of 10,775. Chorleywood itself is situated in the far south west of Hertfordshire, on its border with Buckinghamshire. Chorleywood is just over 19 miles north-west of Charing Cross in London. Chorleywood is also part of the London commuter belt, and included in the government-defined Greater London Urban Area.

Chorleywood is a great place to live too as in a 2004 survey of neighbourhoods carried out by a government department, Chorleywood West was found to be the English neighbourhood with the highest quality of life. Of the 32,482 neighbourhoods surveyed, Chorleywood West came out top using thirty seven separate criteria.

In the early part of the 1960s, researchers at the British Baking Industries Research Association in Chorleywood managed to improve upon an earlier American bread making process. This research resulted in the Chorleywood bread making process, a process which is now used in over 80% of commercial bread production throughout the rest of the United Kingdom.

The history of Chorleywood

Humans have lived in the Chorleywood area from the Paleolithic era, when the plentiful flint supply led to a rather quick development of tools made by early man. The Romans built a small village here complete with a flour mill and brewery. The ruins of a Roman villa are believed to be located under the M25, which passes through the outskirts of Chorleywood itself.

The sheer number of Saxon settlers in Chorleywood led to it becoming a very important town. The Saxons called Chorleywood 'Cerola Leah', which means a meadow in a clearing. The demarcation line that once divided the Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex runs through Chorleywood that now divides the counties of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Edward the Confessor awarded the town of Chorleywood to the Monastery of St Albans.

Upon the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Chorleywood passed to the Bishopric of London, where a bishop held the secular authority, being renamed 'Charleywoode'. Chorleywood became Crown property during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Turnpike Act that received assent in 1663 gave Chorleywood the opportunity to make the most of its strategic position, allowing locals the opportunity to charge civilians to use the road from Hatfield to Reading.

Chorleywood is most famous for its religious Quakers order. Non conformists flocked to Chorleywood and were promised sanctuary by the local population. William Penn founded the Pennsylvania Colony with settlers from Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, and nearby towns in southern Buckinghamshire, Penn had lived and married in Chorleywood.

A Regency mansion called Chorleywood House was built here in 1822 by John Barnes, replacing an earlier farm house. John Saunders Gilliat, who was Governor of the Bank of England at the time lived in this house. In 1892, the house was bought by Lady Ela Sackville Russell, eldest daughter of the 9th Duke of Bedford. She modified and enlarged the house, turning the grounds into a model estate with beautiful gardens.

The Local Government Act of 1894 made Chorleywood part of the Watford Rural District, which encircled Watford. In 1913, the town was separated from Watford Rural District to become Chorleywood Urban District.

What Ansell Chimneys do when they visit your Chorleywood home?

  • We usually require about half an hour per chimney to do a proper sweep.
  • It is important that the area in front of the fire is cleared so we have no furniture in the way to hinder access to the fireplace and it protects your valuables too. An area of about 6 square feet should be adequate.
  • On certain properties, the chimney may be swept through an external hatch in the chimney breast. Although these are great from our point of view for access, we will still need to come into your home to ensure that no debris from the sweeping process has fallen into the fireplace or any soot has fallen into the room, causing a mess.
  • With the use of dust sheets over the fireplace, we effectively seal off the area as an extra barrier against chimney debris getting into the room. However, if soft furnishings or delicate objects are close to the fireplace, we ask that you cover these or remove them just to make sure they are safe.
  • You will not be required to cover all the furniture and surfaces in the room where the fireplace is, unless you really want to.
  • All we really need is somewhere close by to plug in our powerful vacuum cleaner. We can then commence the sweeping process with our brushes, rods and the vacuum to remove the soot and any other debris that is dislodged.
  • Ansell Chimneys will leave your room, fireplace and chimney clean and safe to use once again.

Call Ansell Chimneys out to Chorleywood when it's convenient for you

To be certain of a safely operating chimney, you should have them swept about once a year. The most sensible time to have your chimney swept is during the warmer months, as you are unlikely to be using the fire. Like so many things that happen annually, it's all too easy to forget to book them in time, so to get around this problem Ansell Chimneys offer a useful reminder service and will give you a call annually or bi-annually, the choice is yours.

Ansell Chimneys keep your Chorleywood home clean and dust free

Most people think that chimney sweeping is one of the dirtiest procedures around, but the method Ansell Chimneys use means that very little soot, dust or debris will find its way into your living space. We offer a very clean service so you can keep your Chorleywood home clean.

Why not ask Ansell Chimneys for advice on sweeping your chimney in Chorleywood

Ansell Chimneys really are the experts, If you are experiencing a lack of draw on a chimney, or smoke finding its way back into your room, give us a call; we are always very happy to provide advice on what could potentially be a life threatening situation.

Ansell Chimneys advice is free of charge. If you can't use your fire because it's dangerous, you will be missing out on the homely glow a real fire brings during the winter months. So why not give us a call and get that open fire up and running again.

Cost of chimney sweeping services

Our prices are based on the property location and number of chimneys that need sweeping. Please contact us for a no obligation quote. As Chorleywood is not far from our head office, jobs here will not attract a higher quote.

Birds nests and blockage removal in Chorleywood

One of the first signs that an animal is making a home, or has previously made one in your chimney is that there will be twigs, leaves or other debris in the fireplace that has fallen from above. The most frequent culprits that like to set up residence in your chimneys tend to be some of the carrion birds, such as crows and magpies and occasionaly squirrels. There are plenty of these creatures around Chorleywood and as the town expands, their natural habitat is decreased. This simply means they will look for an alternative place to roost or nest, as the number of trees diminishes.

Any obstruction in a chimney can be potentially lethal! It's not just the solid fuel fires that are a problem either, even a gas fire will release carbon monoxide back into the living space if it can't escape safely up the chimney. When it comes to a fire that burns solid fuels, the chimney can become blocked resulting in smoke coming back into the room or a chimney fire could start, causing a huge amount of expensive damage to the rest of your home.

If you think there is a blockage in your chimney, don't wait for something bad to happen, give us a call immediately. We will remove the blockage and in doing so, be in a better position to tell you why it happened in the first place. For example, there may be a loose or dislodged brick or piece of mortar. It may even be a nest from a bird or squirrel and a bird cap or cowl may well be the answer to prevent it happening again in the future.

Because birds eggs and nests are protected by law in England and Wales and that there may be hatched baby birds in a nest, we will not remove nests during the breeding season, which is May & June, this ensures that the young have had a good chance to leave the nest. After all, there are fewer birds around Chorleywood already because of loss of habitat, light pollution and the increase in the number of cats that are kept as pets. Ansell Chimneys like to ensure that we don't contribute to the decline of our little feathered friends.

Bird cages, caps and cowls fitted in Chorleywood

Should your chimney require a cap or cowl, Ansell Chimneys will have the one to suit your property to protect against the following:

  • Birds or squirrels getting into and possibly nesting in the chimney
  • Our caps and cowls prevent rain from getting into the chimney
  • A good quality cowl or cap stops down drafts
  • To prevent bird and rain entry to a disused chimney, leaving the homeowner with an option to start using a fire in the future without having to clear many years build up of debris.

It is vital to fit the correct type of bird cage, cowl or cap, or problems may occur. With Ansell Chimneys valuable experience, we can identify your particular needs and advise you on the correct type for your situation. We will also look at the other houses nearby to ensure we fit one that is in keeping with the Chorleywood area.

Ansell Chimneys fit all the major types of cages, caps and cowls, so let us know what you want to keep out of your chimney and we can tell you what would be the best option for you.

Ansell Chimneys have a selection of cowls in our vans to demonstrate what they look like and what they are most effective at keeping out of the chimney. We will then arrange to come back to Chorleywood to install the correct cap or cowl to your chimney.

Fitting the caps and cowls is a relatively straightforward job and we do everything we can to avoid the need for scaffolding or other specialised access equipment, a ladder will usually be sufficient.

Fortunately, Chorleywood is well within our 'areas covered' range so this will not push the price up at all for either chimney sweeping or bird caps and cowl fitting.

Smoke tests

After Ansell Chimneys have swept your chimney, we carry out a quick, simple but effective test to ensure there is the correct draw and no smoke or other pollutants can flow back into your living space. This is quite simply a match-like device that smokes profusely when burnt and is placed just above the site of the fire. If the smoke is neatly drawn up the chimney, the fire will be safe to use.

So if you live in Chorleywood and need your chimney swept, why not call or email Ansell Chimneys and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

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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.