Real Life Woes

[bk_forever]

Why do things keep going wrong?

We had the chimney sweep booked for today. He was a little late, but that's to be expected. However, our chimney remains unswept and now we have the sweep's brush and at least one rod jammed up the it. The suspicion is that the chimney liner that was put in nearly four years ago has collapsed. What is known for sure is that the chimney is blocked with wet gunk that looks like dark soil, the sweep got about half a large bucketful out. I'd already taken about the same amount out that had fallen down into the fireplace over summer. This should not happen with a modern chimney liner. It's possible the one that's in there was installed upside down so that the soot and any rainwater seeping in have been collecting in ridges that are supposed to point downwards. It's equally possible that the liner has become detached at the top and dropped down, allowing the old lining material that was crumbling before we hasd the new liner fitted to continue falling into the chimney flue. Either way, it''s a mess and as the sweep is booked solid well into November, he's decided to give up a Sunday to fix things because he sees this as an emergency. Also, it's eaten one of his brushes and he wants it back. It's an old brush, true, but it's the principle of the thing. Chimneys do not get to keep the brushes that get rammed up them.

It's going to be a big job, he'll have to bash a hole in the chimney breast (thankfully we still haven't redecorated since the last time, so it's not spoiling anything) and also go up on the roof. It's unclear right now whether the liner can be pulled back up and removed that way, or if it will have to be dragged out of the hole in the chimney breast. Oh joy. It's also going to be a big bill, probably upwards of £1000, what with labour, materials and scaffolding to reach the roof. Fun fun fun! Not.

Comments

[too-beauty.livejournal.com]

So sorry to hear that! are you sure you don't have an alien playing a trick on you in it?
Hope you get it clean quickly and cheap!

[bk_forever]

Pretty sure, yeah! Any alien going up there would die in the gunk!

It's not going to be cheap, it's a massive job that will take hours, but hopefully it will be done right and the problem will be fixed.

Thank you!

[excentric397.livejournal.com]

Good grief. I cannot imagine having to go through all of that. You are living in Victorian times? That sounds really dangerous. You could have had a fire. I have a friend whose new house had central air that had been installed backwards. Been there for years. Did the previous owners not notice anything wrong? Unfortunately, there is no way to really check when work like that is done, until there is a problem, or a worker finds it, as in your case. How else do you know they did a crap job? Hope this clears up quickly, and with not too much mess. Does the sweep clear up after himself, or are you left with the mess. You have my sympathies.

[bk_forever]

The sweep always clears up, it's done with a vacuum cleaner these days, sucking up what the brushes bring down. except not this time because the stuff was wet. They used a shovel and bucket instead. He's qualified to do the work though, and replace bricks and re-plaster. When it was done before, it was December, just before Christmas, a rush job in the minus 5 temperatures during the day. We don't even know if it WAS put in upside down, it could be some other factor like whatever held it at the top came loose. The new liner will be a different kind that can't fall in.

I'm surprisingly calm about it all. I don't know why. Fatalistic. *shrugs* No use panicking!

[excentric397.livejournal.com]

Calm is the way to go. There's nothing you can do to change anything about it, so why freak? Works for me in most situations. I know someone who freaks over every even minor crisis, and it not only makes things worse for her, but for everyone else trying to deal. Deeeeep breath. She hates when I say that. LOL

[bk_forever]

Well, I have OCD and panic attacks, so for me NOT to freak over something pretty major is unusual, to say the least. *shrugs* It's just one more thing I don't need to be dealing with and means I have to go out again next week to make sure the finances are in place before the work is done.

[excentric397.livejournal.com]

Well, in that case, if you are not freaking, you deserve to give yourself a huge pat on the back. Yay, you.

[bk_forever]

You know what I'm MOST miffed about? I loaned the sweep a pen and I think he walked off with it, because I can't find it. It's the one we keep by the phone. =(

Maybe I'll freak when there's a giant hole in the wall... Nah, doubt it. Been there before, didn't freak 4 years ago. It's a pain though.

[lil-1337.livejournal.com]

Do you have any recourse against the people who installed the liner in the first place?

[bk_forever]

Not as far as I know. At this stage, we don't even know if it was done wrong, of if it just slipped because of something unforeseen. Won't know until the liner is taken out. It was fitted by someone subcontracted at the last minute by the people who fitted our new fire just before Christmas 2010. Mum had neglected to tell the fire fitters at the time that the chimney lining wasn't in a good state so it was all a bit rushed and carried out in sub zero temperatures in the coldest winter ever, because our fire helpfully decided to conk out then, just after our pipes burst. The person who fitted the fire has retired due to ill health, and I don't know who he found to do the chimney. *shrugs* Stuff happens. What matters is that we get it fixed before it gets too cold because the fire runs our central heating. No fire, no heat. Mum's 83 now, so no heat in winter is not an option.

[milady-dragon.livejournal.com]

That almost sounds like a Torchwood plot: a chimney eating something.

That is crazy. I hope it gets fixed quickly. The bill is nasty enough, you don't need all that crap. *hugs*

[bk_forever]

We really don't *sigh*

Yes, chimney alien, nasty critters. It will be soundly dealt with next Sunday. I hope.

I'm wavering between annoyed, resigned, and amused about the brush.

Thank you!

[owensheart.livejournal.com]

Oh dear hope you get this all cleaned and sorted and all goes well.

[bk_forever]

I'm hoping. Got a week to go, so I'll make plans about what I'll have to move and what needs covering, so on the day I'll know exactly what I have to get done in advance. Really could do without this, but it's unavoidable.

Thank you!

[edith rudenstein (from livejournal.com)]

As horrible as what you're going through is, at least it's going to be taken care of.

[bk_forever]

I think that's why I'm not too worried. It's an upheaval and a massive expense we could do without, and it's annoying as hell because the liner should have been good for 15 years or so, I think we were told, but at least we can get it fixed before the weather gets too cold.Hopefully a better job will be done this time and it'll be a different kind of liner that shouldn't be able to collapse. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thank you!

[jsks.livejournal.com]

Chimney cleaning can be a real nightmare good luck.

[bk_forever]

Thank you, we'll need it. It'll be a massive job!

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Sounds terrifying! Anything involving fire or ashes from fire, or could be fire maybe, scares me to death. Glad he's going to fix it - better safe than having a problem when a fire is going.

[bk_forever]

Well, there's no way the fire could be lit at the moment, must never light a fire until the chimney's swept and his brush is still jammed up the flue anyway, so there was never any chance we'd light it before the chimney was fixed. We just really could have done without this. I'm just hoping a better job is done this time, because something has gone badly wrong!

Fire both terrifies and fascinates me. I have to keep ours going for two thirds of the year, cleaning it out twice a day, so I have a VERY healthy respect for it and I'm extremely careful.

Thank you!

[awieatti.livejournal.com]

Oh no! That sucks! I hope your chimney will get fixed soon! :(

[bk_forever]

Sunday, it should be. It's a pain, but it's got to be done!

Thank you!

[lilyrose225.livejournal.com]

Ah, my best wishes! Here, have a hug! *squishes*

(at least it's not worse. it could always be worse. you didn't have any chimney fires, at least! *knocks on wood*)

[bk_forever]

It could indeed be worse. I've lived with worse. But it's an expense we could have done without, those liners are supposed to last a lot longer than 4 years. And having a big hole knocked in the wall again is going to mean more mess... *sigh*

*squishes back* Thank you.

[timelordshines.livejournal.com]

Yikes that sounds horrible with all the mess and disruption and expense!
Is the sweep who is fixing it the same one who installed the liner before?
At least it sounds like he is being nice and kindly fitting you into a busy schedule. And he will clean up after himself.
Have you looked into your insurance to see if it might cover something like that? My friends got their neighbour's cat stuck up the chimney (it was ok) and the mess and repairs that caused was covered by their insurance.

[bk_forever]

Our insurance doubled with our last claim, no way are we gonna try and claim for this! We'd end up paying more in insurance than it'll cost to deal with the problem. Besides, I doubt it's covered. The brush getting stuck didn't cause the problem, it's the result of an existing problem... And how the hell do you get a cat stuck up a chimney?

No, the previous liner was fitted by someone subcontracted by the guys who fitted the fire. This sweep is a chimney engineer, so hopefully he'll do a better job, including bricking up the hole and re-plastering.

[timelordshines.livejournal.com]

Ah fair enough. Probably better to deal with the problem and keep the insurance low. Hope the sweep fixes it with the minimum of disruption to you.

How to get a cat stuck up a chimney (don't try this at home).
The cat was of a nervous disposition. It was asleep on the bed. My friend went in the room and startled it and it panicked and tried to escape. He was still in the doorway so it ran up the chimney. 5 days, 2 chimney sweeps, 1 fire engine and £8000 of damage later it was finally pulled out of the chimney onto the roof by a poor chimney sweep who despite being scared of heights and allergic to cats felt so sorry for the cat and my friends that he decided to try going in from the top.
My friends then got a posh cat flap that responds to the microchip in their own cat's neck and wont let any other cats in!

[bk_forever]

Our insurance isn't low, that's the problem. It's through the roof, another increase would make it unaffordable. I tried shopping around for a lower quote but there are so many questions asked that I gave up after the first three pages. I couldn't answer half the questions anyway.

Poor cat! Glad it was rescued in the end. That was a mammoth rescue!