Sweep!

Backblip

After the great fire lighting disaster of Christmas 2013, we've never been brave enough to light our fire again but I'm determined we will have a real fire in the living room this winter.

With this in mind, David arranged for a chimney sweep to visit today to check there are no blockages in the chimney and sweep it again.   

Simon the Sweep arrived at 1.30pm prompt and within 5 minutes could tell me there were no blockages, the chimney is clean, we have a tall chimney pot so that should allow good drawing when the fire is lit and that in his view the problem with the smoke billowing into the room was a combination of the weather (very cold, damp and windy day) a cold chimney, putting the logs on to the kindling too soon and the main culprit, the cowel on the chimney top not leaving a big enough gap to let the smoke escape.

Apparently we have a "low-top" on the chimney and we need a "high-top".  He actually said it would be better with no covering at all but appreciates the risk of crows and jackdaws "flying down and taking up residence on my curtain poles" is too high to risk.  

Hahahaha...if we were sitting there and a bird came down the chimney David would literally pass out!  

So a high top it is then.  Simon had one in his van but couldn't fit it as his ladder wasn't tall enough (and I wasn't happy at the thought of him up there on his own) so the roofer will fit it in a couple of weeks when he comes to mend the roof.

So, fingers crossed, in the not too distant future, we will have a beautiful real fire burning in the hearth without the place smelling like a forest fire!

My blip has nothing to do with my write up....just happened to be the only photo I took when I was standing outside with the sweep looking up at the chimney!   It's reminded me though that I better get the mint harvested and into the freezer before the hard frosts arrive.