IF YOU have recently moved into a new home – you may want to study these photos closely.

The pics were taken by respected Guild member Alec Osborn, who covers the Hereford area, after he was called-in to inspect a chimney. The new home owners had decided the chimney structure and woodburning stove needed a careful inspection. It was a good job they did – the situation was dangerous!

“The photos show a jackdaw nest I removed. There were 14 wheelbarrows worth of material to discard!” said Alec. He added: “This had a live, unlined woodburner in it but thankfully the new home owners called me in to check it out.”

The hole you can see in the nest is where the fluepipe from the stove poked up in to the old chimney. These photos show just how important it is to have your chimney inspected when you move into a new home. The jackdaws’ nest was an extremely dangerous fire hazard, and the unlined chimney presented an additional risk. Luckily, the owners employed commonsense and contacted Alec just in time.

“We’re grateful to Alec for sharing these photos with the wider public,” commented Steven Howard, Technical director of the Guild of Master Sweeps. “It’s a perfect illustration as to the importance of professional chimney inspections and sweeping.

“We dread to think what may have happened if Alec had not been called to the scene. Fortunately, these new homeowners did the right thing and now they can enjoy the woodburner safe in the knowledge that the chimney has been given a risk assessment and proper sweep by Alec.”

Steven added: “If you have just moved into a new home, please do not be tempted to light the fire. Contact your local Guild sweep straightaway and ask for a professional review of your chimney. You can easily find them via the Find a Sweep directory.”