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Straight answers to common questions

How often to sweep, what you get on the day, and how booking works. If your question isn't here, call and ask.

Sweeping

Chimney sweeping

How often should a chimney be swept?

At least once a year for most wood-burning stoves, multi-fuel stoves and open fires. Heavy use, or burning wood that isn’t properly seasoned, is better on twice a year. Regular sweeping clears the soot and tar that cause chimney fires and keeps the flue drawing, so smoke and carbon monoxide go up and out rather than into the room. If you’re not sure what’s right for yours, we’ll tell you honestly on the day.

How long does a chimney sweep take?

Allow around an hour and twenty minutes for a standard sweep, or an hour and a half for a sweep with a visual flue check. The condition of the flue and access to the fireplace can move that either way.

Will it make a mess?

No. Everything comes out through a sealed vacuum and the hearth is sheeted before we start. If we leave a mess, we haven’t done the job properly.

Do I need to do anything before you arrive?

Don’t light the fire for 24 hours beforehand, and clear a metre or so in front of the fireplace if you can. That’s it.

What happens if you find a problem?

We’ll show you on camera, explain what it means and what it would take to fix. No pressure, and no invented faults.

More on domestic sweeping →

Records

Certificates & the Flue Passport

Do I get a certificate after a chimney sweep?

Yes, on the day, with every sweep. It’s your proof the flue has been maintained, and insurers increasingly ask for one after a chimney fire, so it’s worth keeping. A copy also goes onto your Flue Passport, so it can’t be lost in a drawer.

What is a Flue Passport?

A permanent digital record of your chimney: every sweep, inspection, photograph and certificate in one place. Scan the medallion fitted to the chimney and the full history is there, ready to share with an insurer, buyer or surveyor. It’s included as standard with every flue we sweep, at no extra charge.

Is a CCTV camera survey included in a sweep?

Not as standard. A sweep includes a visual check and a smoke draw test, which is what most chimneys need. A full CCTV flue survey is a separate service, priced per flue. Book it on its own, or ask on the day and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth it for your flue.

About the Flue Passport →

Biomass

Commercial biomass

What’s the difference between chimney sweeping and biomass flue cleaning?

Domestic sweeping clears soot and tar from open fires and stoves in homes. Biomass flue cleaning deals with the heavier deposits and acid corrosion that wood chip and pellet boilers produce on commercial and industrial plant. It’s scheduled around run hours and shutdown windows, and every flue is condition-scored and photographed on every visit for your compliance file.

Do you clean biomass flues outside Scotland?

Yes. Commercial biomass flue cleaning is UK-wide, with multi-site portfolios run under one contract, one point of contact and one invoice.

Biomass flue cleaning →

Booking

Areas, booking & payment

Do you cover areas outside Glasgow?

Domestic sweeping covers Glasgow, Rutherglen and South Lanarkshire, roughly forty minutes from Rutherglen in any direction, and can be booked online with no deposit. Further out, you can join the list for your town and we’ll schedule a run once enough bookings are nearby. Commercial biomass flue cleaning is UK-wide.

How do I pay?

On completion, by card or cash, whichever suits. There’s no deposit to book a sweep. Inspections are the exception; those are paid before we attend.

What if I need to cancel or move my booking?

It’s free to cancel or move with more than 24 hours’ notice. Inside 24 hours, or if we can’t get access on arrival, the full price of the booked service is payable.

Can you quote chimney repairs from a photo?

No, and be wary of anyone who does. From ground level you can’t tell a stack that needs pointing from one that needs rebuilding, and the difference is considerable. We inspect first, then quote what we’ve actually seen.

Areas we cover →

Still have a question?

Call and talk it through, or book online. Most sweeps can be booked in a couple of minutes, with no deposit.

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