Page 12 • The HERALD • 27th August 2026 v EMAIL YOUR NEWS: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk v The Square, Fawley, Southampton SO45 1DD T: 023 8112 3112 E: office@zebra-ltd.co.uk All Plumbing Works Undertaken Full Bathroom Installation Toilet Fix from £75 Fully Insured Free Quotes No Job Too Big or Too Small PLUMBING & BATHROOMS Traditional chimney sweeping for open fires & log burners • Stove servicing • Flu camera inspections and Drone surveys. HETAS registered • Fully insured • Certificates issued No stress, No mess Areas covered: SO15, SO40-43, SO45 SO51 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: Jim - 07379 383 307 Why Regular Chimney Sweeping Matters More Than You Think by Jim Hood, Hearth & Home Chimney Services ere’s nothing quite like a real re or log burner on a cold evening — but behind that cosy glow, your chimney is quietly doing a lot of work. And like anything that works hard, it needs looking a er. What builds up inside a chimney? Every re you burn sends smoke, soot, and a tar-like residue called creosote up through the ue. Over time, this coats the inside of the chimney. Le unchecked, it doesn’t just sit there harmlessly — it narrows the ue, restricts air ow, and creates a genuine re risk. Three reasons a regular sweep matters: 1. It reduces the risk of chimney fires. Creosote is highly ammable. A buildup increases the chances of a spark igniting inside the ue, and chimney res are a leading cause of house res during the colder months. A proper sweep removes that risk at the source. 2. It protects against carbon monoxide. A blocked or restricted ue — whether from soot, a bird’s nest, or general debris — stops smoke and gases escaping properly. at can lead to carbon monoxide nding its way back into the home, a gas with no smell or colour that makes it especially dangerous. Regular sweeping, alongside a working CO alarm, is one of the simplest ways to guard against it. 3. It keeps your fire burning. A clear ue e ciently draws properly, meaning your re burns hotter and cleaner, your room heats up faster, and you get more from every log or bag of fuel. A neglected chimney, by contrast, works harder for less result. A word on log burners Log burners are now the most popular way to burn solid fuel in the home, and they bring their own maintenance needs alongside the chimney itself. A proper sweep isn’t just about clearing the ue — it’s also a chance to check over the condition of the burner. at includes checking seals, ba e plates, glass, and rope, and agging anything that needs servicing before it becomes a bigger (and more expensive) problem. Catching a worn door seal or a cracked ba e plate early keeps the stove running e ciently and safely. How often should you get it done? Most professionals recommend a sweep at least once a year for regularly used replaces and wood burners, and more frequently for households that burn a lot of wood, since wood produces more creosote than smokeless fuels. Who to call Hearth & Home Chimney Services is HETAS-registered – the governmentrecognised scheme for solid-fuel heating safety and competence. They cover Hythe, Southampton, Lymington, Brockenhurst, Ashurst, the Waterside, and the wider New Forest area, o ering thorough sweeps that check for blockages, nesting, damage, creosote build-up, and log burner condition — giving homeowners and landlords peace of mind through the colder months. A regular sweep is a small job that prevents a much bigger problem. Book yours before the season sets in. Have You Seen Hanger Farm Poets Lectern? e poetry group at Hanger Farm Arts Centre in West Totton are looking for their lost lectern. e lectern was made by one of their long-standing members Mike Adams, a well-known ornithologist in Hythe. Mike was an accomplished poet, who knew how to make his poems most entertaining! He built the oak lectern for the group to encourage less con dent members, as it would hold their script while performing before an audience. Unfortunately, a er Mike’s death earlier this year, his family did not realise that the lecturn belonged to the group and it was donated to the Oakhaven warehouse. Some of the groups new members are hoping to start doing gigs again at Hanger Farm so the group would like to get the lectern back. Myra Metcalfe, Secretary, Hanger Farm Poets comments: “If you can help us locate the lectern, please phone Hanger Farm on: 023 8086 7683. There may be some free tickets as a reward! Thank you.”
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