This article appeared along with advertising for the Findachimneysweep.co.uk Specialist Services search in the Sept/ Oct 2025 edition of Listed Heritage Magazine. Listed Heritage is the magazine for the Listed Property Owners Club, Britain’s only advice service dedicated to helping the owners of listed buildings.
The Guild marketing team is actively promoting members services to listed property owners and more importantly to the trades, professionals and organisations who work with listed property owners.
When in use it’s like a magnet, effortlessly drawing people together and providing a set of sensory experiences shared with our distant ancestors. But whether you have a period fireplace for an open fire or a modern eco-design woodburner, it should form an attractive focal point in any space. Then there are the heating considerations – more of that later.
Fires, fireplaces, fuels and chimneys are a big subject, particularly with a period property. Who might you turn to for expert assistance? The Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps is the leading national trade association for professional sweeps. The Guild provides training, business and support services to over 500 members who have met the highest assessment standards for sweeps in the UK. Before the traditional Mary Poppins / Victorian images take hold, it’s worth highlighting that the role of a modern professional sweep has changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years. Now a recognised trade with its own qualifications, professional sweeps have an impressive skill set well beyond the work of cleaning the flue. The scope of work is extensive and can include everything from inspections and integrity testing, to flue mapping and chimney design and build. Surveys and reports are valuable for owners’ seeking guidance on remedial work or ahead of installation projects.
HEATING WITH WOOD / SOLID FUEL
Open fires
An open fire in a period property looks great, but it’s unlikely to give much heat beyond the room – there’s a good reason for those high- backed chairs we see near fireplaces in old paintings. The up-draught of a chimney actively powers the fire. Open fires require a lot of ventilation and this ultimately has to be replaced with cold air from outside. This additional ventilation may be a benefit in some buildings but for most of us, it’s just a cold draught. Even when the fire is not in use, a large amount of air is being drawn out of the room. If the room is heated, the heat loss to the chimney is equivalent to having a good-sized window open 24 hours a day, perhaps adding around £80 per year per chimney to the heating bill. Chimney caps for the top and devices which restrict air flow at the bottom will save money and energy. It is, however, essential to maintain a little ventilation to avoid damp / condensation problems. Ask your sweep.
Woodburning stoves
A woodburning stove can be a great heating appliance for any property. Running a stove is often a cost-effective option. You can expect 3 – 4 times more heat output from a stove for the same amount of fuel used on an open fire. In addition, a stove effectively blocks off the bottom of the chimney so there’s no heat loss from the room to the chimney when it’s not in use. There is sometimes a reluctance from conservation officers (and homeowners) to replace an open fire for aesthetic reasons, but with many design options now available, the efficiency and flexibility of a stove can make it an attractive option.
SPECIALISED SWEEPS – SEARCH FOR YOUR SERVICE
The Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps operates a member’s directory on the www.findachimneysweep.co.uk consumer website. Of course, every member will sweep your chimney, but searching for sweeps who offer specialist services is simple. Whether you require a camera survey report, a sweep for a thatch property or a woodburner service / repair, the Specialist Services search takes you straight to a list of local experts. You can even filter out a sweep who’ll attend a wedding and add a nice touch of tradition to the special day. The search list will lead you on to individuals / company profiles for further information and contact details. It may be that your sweep discovers something that warrants further attention or investigation. If they can’t help with this, they’ll almost certainly know a colleague who can. The ‘findachimneysweep’ site also has an extensive archive of articles to inform and engage anyone with an interest in their fire.
USE AND MAINTENANCE
These days, actually cleaning soot from the chimney is perhaps only half of the sweep’s work. The remainder is made up of inspections, tests, observations and advice. Much of this work is incorporated into the sweeping process and forms part of the cost of a regular chimney sweeping. At the end of a sweeping visit, there should always be a summary of general findings, which should always be documented on a certificate. Please heed any advice on remedial work and suggestions for cleaner burning as this will save money on fuel, help keep the chimney cleaner and reduce unnecessary pollution. Whether you have live, or redundant chimneys, there are important considerations with respect to the structure, integrity, use and maintenance.
Your sweep can help.
CLEANER BURNING
Air quality in the UK is the best since records began and particulate pollution (PM) is at an historic low – search ‘Defra particulate matter’. But with a little knowledge, almost everyone with a fire or woodburner can burn more efficiently and make a difference to local air quality. All sweeps should provide advice on Cleaner Burning. We can’t explore all the details of cleaner burning here so please ask your sweep what will make a difference for you and review the excellent information on the Burnright website: https://burnright.co.uk Or there’s our new Cleaner Burning flyer which includes useful information about Smoke Control Areas in towns and cities: Download Cleaner Burning pdf.
SMOKE CONTROL AREAS OR SMOKELESS ZONE
For properties within a Smoke Control Area, you are allowed to have a fire but there are rules about what you can burn. For open fires, only Approved Smokeless Fuel is allowed, no wood except kindling. To burn wood, you must use an appliance that has been exempted by Defra. These appliances are designed to burn fuel more efficiently and include woodburners (older designs may not be exempt), some boilers and cookers. Search ‘Exempt appliances’ for a list, or better still ask your sweep about the rules around Smoke Control Areas. Stove manufacturers have made great progress in the last 10 years with most appliances emitting no visible smoke once up to temperature and correctly operated.
Sweep and specialist services search: www.findachimneysweep.co.uk
Details of Guild training, assessment standards and membership requirements can be found on the trade website: www. guildofmasterchimneysweeps.co.uk. This site also hosts a comprehensive directory of companies offering solid fuel and chimney related products and services
Cleaner Burning guidance: burnright.co.uk
* Defra pollution stats and trends: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants/emissions-of-air-pollutants-inthe-uk-particulate-matter-pm10-and-pm25
Come and see us at the Malvern – Listed Property Show 2025 – 10th & 11th October – Stand N33.
