Chimney sweep · Derry
Certified & fully insured
Certified, fully insured power sweeping for open fires, stoves and range cookers, using modern rotary tools and an H-class soot vacuum. Tidy work, dust sheets down, and a signed sweep certificate when we're done.
You service your car and your boiler. Your chimney deserves the same. A blocked or dirty flue can quietly fill your home with smoke and carbon monoxide. One sweep a year protects the air your family breathes, from the youngest to the oldest.
Book your sweepWhy it matters
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service attended 1,762 chimney fires in 2013, just over 7% of all its call-outs that year. NIFRS says chimney fires can be easily prevented by having chimneys cleaned.
Sources: NIFRS, Chimney Fire Safety Week, via 4NI · NIFRS Chimney Fire Prevention Tips
Soot and tar build up inside the flue with every fire. Left too long, it can catch light and spread into the roof space and the rest of the house.
CO has no colour, smell or taste. When a flue can't draw properly, fumes can spill back into the room, often at night while the family sleeps.
Bird nests, cobwebs and loose brickwork can block a chimney without you knowing, trapping smoke and fumes inside your home.
Some people feel the effects of smoke and carbon monoxide sooner and more seriously than others.
Clean air, not just a clean chimney. We use an H-class certified soot vacuum, the highest dust-safety class for vacuums, capturing at least 99.995% of fine dust. Soot is trapped at the source, so it stays out of the air your family breathes.
Book a safety sweepThey breathe faster than adults, so they take in fumes more quickly, and can't tell you when something feels wrong.
Early signs of CO such as headaches, tiredness and confusion are easily mistaken for a cold or just feeling old.
Anyone with asthma, COPD or a heart condition can be affected by lower levels of smoke and carbon monoxide.
With no one else to notice the warning signs, a regular sweep and a working CO alarm matter even more.
Know someone who'd struggle to arrange a sweep? Book one for a parent or grandparent. We'll ring them to sort a time and talk them through it.
Recommended
At least once a year for every chimney, and more often if you burn house coal or wood.
Best time? Any time of year. What matters is that it's done regularly. Once you're booked in, we'll send you a reminder when your next sweep is due, so you never have to remember.
Sources: HETAS, When should I get my chimney swept? · North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue · Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue
Message us on Facebook Messenger or email us. We'll offer a time that suits you.
Dust sheets down, flue power swept with modern rotary tools, soot captured by an H-class vacuum and taken away.
Every sweep finishes with a smoke test, using a smoke machine to check the chimney draws safely and the smoke comes out where it should.
You get your certificate and a reminder when the next sweep is due.
Getting ready
A few simple steps help the sweep go quickly, safely and cleanly.
Don't light it the night before. The fire, stove and flue need to be completely cold when we arrive.
Move ornaments, photos, fire tools and log baskets out of the way.
Keep them out of the room while we work. It's safer, and soot stays where it should.
We check the chimney pot from outside during the smoke test, so please make sure we can get round to see the roof.
Smoke coming back into the room, odd smells, birds in the chimney, or a fire that won't draw. It helps us bring the right kit.
No call-out fee within our area. Contact us for a price. The price is always agreed before we start.
Prices are for a standard sweep. Every chimney is checked before work starts. If it needs more than a standard sweep, for example a heavy blockage, nest removal, a second flue or difficult access, we'll explain what's needed and agree any extra cost with you first. No work is added without your say-so.
Never think about your chimney again. Spread the cost monthly, and we'll book you in, remind you and look after the rest.
Can't wait? Ask us to book next year's sweep at your visit and we'll hold your slot.
Based in Derry and covering Cityside, Waterside and the surrounding area. Not sure if you're in range? Just ask.
Locally run, with a lifetime in the solid fuel trade around the North West. Trained by a third-generation, well-established chimney sweep, so we know local chimneys inside out.
CG Chimney Care grew out of a lifetime in the solid fuel trade around the North West. We've delivered fuel to homes across Derry for years, so we know local fires and stoves, and the people who rely on them.
We trained with a third-generation, well-established chimney sweep, learning the trade properly from people who've done it for decades. Every job is power swept with modern rotary tools, with an H-class soot vacuum keeping the dust out of your home.
We work evenings and weekends, so you don't have to take time off for a sweep. And because we're local, we'll still be here next year to remind you when it's due.
We're new, and proud of every job.
Our first customers' reviews will appear here soon. Had a sweep with us? We'd be grateful if you left us a Google review. It helps other local families find a sweep they can trust.
At least once a year, and twice a year or more for house coal or wood. See How often should you sweep? above.
Yes. CG Chimney Care is fully insured, including public liability cover, for every job we carry out.
No. The fireplace is sealed off and the area sheeted before we start, and all soot is bagged and taken away.
Usually under an hour for a standard chimney.
Yes, just a few simple steps. See Before your sweep above.
Book whichever way suits you. Just tell us your name, town and whether it's an open fire, stove or range, and we'll come back to you with a time.
Messages are usually answered the same day.
Evening and weekend appointments available, so you don't need to take time off work.
1. Who we are. CG Chimney Care is a trading name of Christopher Gillen, a sole trader based in Derry, Northern Ireland. Address: Derry, BT48 area. Email: info@cgchimneycare.co.uk. These terms apply to every sweep, inspection, nest removal, CO alarm fitting and related visit. By booking, you agree to them.
2. At the visit. An adult aged 18 or over must be at the property for the whole visit, unless we have agreed otherwise in writing. We may decline work that is outside our area, our training or our insurance cover, or that we believe is unsafe.
3. Prices and quotes. We agree the price with you before we start, based on what you tell us when booking. Every chimney is checked first. If we find something that needs more than a standard sweep, such as heavy soot or tar, a nest, a blockage, a second appliance or difficult access, we will explain why and agree any extra cost with you before doing it. Quotes are valid for 30 days.
4. What a standard sweep includes. Sweeping the accessible flue with professional equipment, removing normal soot and loose debris, a smoke draw test where possible, and a sweep certificate recording what we found. It does not include nest or blockage removal, retrieving stuck rods, repairs, liner, masonry or roof work, or appliance repairs. These are quoted separately.
5. Before we arrive. Please don't use the fire or stove for at least 24 hours before your appointment, so it is fully cool. Tell us beforehand about any known problems, such as smoke coming into the room, a past chimney fire, a suspected blockage or any gas connection. Clear the hearth and mantel, move ornaments and anything fragile or valuable away from the area, keep children and pets out of the room, and give us access outside to view the chimney. We don't move heavy furniture.
6. Wasted visits. If we arrive and can't carry out the work because the fire is lit or hot, nobody is home, we can't get access, or for another reason within your control, we may charge a call-out fee.
7. Bookings, cancellations and delays. Please give us at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or move an appointment. Late cancellations may be charged the call-out fee. If you book by phone, message or online, you have 14 days to cancel without charge. If you ask us to do the work within those 14 days, you agree we may start, and you may be charged for work already done if you cancel. Appointment times are arrival windows. We will let you know as soon as we can if we are delayed by traffic, weather, illness or an earlier job running over.
8. Gas appliances. We are not Gas Safe registered and do not work on gas appliances, gas fires or gas supplies. If a chimney is, or has been, connected to gas, a Gas Safe engineer must make it safe before we start.
9. Existing defects. Sweeping does not repair a chimney. We will tell you about any defects we notice, but we cannot see every part of a flue. We are not responsible for problems that existed before our visit, such as a cracked or loose liner, worn fire bricks, damaged glass, poor installation or crumbling mortar. Old or weakened parts, including loose pots, cowls, bird guards or brickwork, may move or fail during normal sweeping because of their existing condition. A little soot may also keep falling for a few days after a sweep. We may decline to sweep, or advise you not to use an appliance, if we believe it is unsafe.
10. Bird nests. Nesting birds are protected under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. We will not remove a nest that is in use. If birds are nesting, we will advise you not to light the fire and arrange removal once the nesting season is over. Without a cowl or bird guard, birds may nest again.
11. After your sweep. Before using your fire, make sure you have a working carbon monoxide alarm. Burn only suitable fuel, never rubbish, plastics or treated wood, and follow any safety advice we give you. CO alarms we supply carry the manufacturer's warranty. We fit battery-only alarms. Test yours weekly and replace it by its expiry date.
12. Payment. Payment is due when the work is finished, by cash or bank transfer. For bank transfers, please use the first line of your address as the reference. We may decline future bookings while a previous bill is unpaid.
13. Damage and liability. We are fully insured and take care to protect your home. If we damage your property through our own carelessness, we will put it right fairly. We are not responsible for loss caused by existing defects, unsuitable fuel, items not moved before the visit, or advice not followed. Nothing in these terms limits your legal rights as a consumer, or our liability where the law does not allow it to be limited.
14. Complaints. If you are unhappy with our work, please tell us as soon as possible, ideally within 7 days, so we can look at it and put it right where we can.
15. Your information. We keep your name, address, contact details and job records to carry out your sweep, issue certificates and remind you when the next one is due, in line with UK data protection law. We never sell your details. You can ask us to stop reminders or delete your details at any time by emailing us.
16. General. These terms are governed by the law of Northern Ireland. If any part is found invalid, the rest still applies. We may update these terms, and the version on this page applies to new bookings. Last updated: 29 October 2026.