So.................... what have we been doing the last few weeks? Well day 1 in the new house saw us having the chimney swept. We were quite excited. We have never had a chimney before! I was disappointed though when they turned up and they didn't have soot covered faces!
It doesn't take long. They don't send a small boy up there any more you know! Actually the whole procedure was a bit of a let down. They do it with a sort of very large vacuum cleaner. They do however still stick brushes up and that was a bit of a thrill when we marched into the street to see the brush poking out of the chimney! I wanted to take a photo and rushed in to get my camera but couldn't find it and they needed to get on. Next year maybe. They say we have to have it swept once a year and they gave us a certificate for our insurance company.
Simon couldn't wait to get started with a fire so he left me unpacking boxes and went off to get a small bag of logs so we could try it out. In true Simon fashion he came back empty handed but announced that we would be having a trailer load delivered before tea time! WTH? A whole trailer load? Even worse a trailer load costing £75 and we are going to burn it! He assured me that it would last all winter but the way he has been getting through it we will be lucky if it lasts until next week.
I must admit that the inaugural fire lighting was kind of special. Simon was thrilled. Brings back childhood memories for him I think. I initially found it a bit scary but I have got past that now and I do really like watching it.
We have spent a fortune on it though. The chimney sweep advised that a fire guard with close mesh was a must so Simon went of to buy one. Of course he came back not just with a guard but with a set of tools and a wicker basket to keep the logs in. He also informed me that he had ordered a chunk of black granite to replace the revolting blue tiles that currently form the hearth. Hmmm... Black granite sounds expensive me thinks........Yep, it's a fortune....... £350 plus fitting. It is currently being cut to size and shape and is due to be fitted on Friday. It will be a vast improvement on those tiles.
Here you can see the fire, the guard, the tools, the log basket and those revolting blue tiles!
Although I like the fire it does have a few irritations. First one is that it sometimes smells. Not always but sometimes. It smells smoky. Yes, I know it is a fire and they have smoke but ….... well I don't want my living room to smell like a bonfire. Why does it only do that occasionally?
The other thing is that it doesn't seem to throw out as much heat as I would have liked. It isn't a major deal as we have a central heating radiator in that room too but you know I would have preferred it to feel hotter.
We are only burning logs right now. Someone said the other day that we should add coal too and that would help. I'm not sure. That means having a basket of coal in the room too. If we get much more around the fire you won't be able to see the bloody granite when it arrives! Plus that will be more money for coal. I think my idea of a nice gas fire was a good one but I do admit that there is something quite special about an open fire. It adds ambiance.
Gosh, his has turned into a chimney – fire blog! Think I’ll stop now and write more later.
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