Terms and Conditions

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• Albans chimneys limited will carry out external visual inspections and internal inspections of accessible areas when working. This is to ensure, as practicably possible, that the installation is sound and safe to be swept. Any immediately obvious faults may prevent any works from being carried out.
• It is the HOME OWNERS responsibility to ensure that the appliance, chimney, terminal and all constituent parts are in good order and safe to be swept. 
• If any fault becomes apparent during the sweeping process, it is an indication of an already existing fault which has been brought to light by the sweeping and cleaning of the installation. This is NOT the fault of the chimney sweep. 
• We will explain the possible reasons for any fault on the installation and advise the customer of any remedial works required to make the installation sound again. 

ACCESS

• Where possible, an area of approximately 1.5 metres is required in front of the chimney opening to carry out the sweeping process. 
• Furniture in front of the fireplace and Items sat on the hearth are to be moved prior to the sweeping appointment. (Where the occupier is unable to do this, for example elderly or disabled customers, then we will of course be happy to do this under your direction). 
• The responsible person of the property/owner of the property is to be informed and aware of the work being carried out. Any tenant/lodger/agent booking Albans Chimneys Limited to carry out work in the property must inform/seek permission from the responsible person/owner beforehand.

SECURITY

• During the sweep, we are required to make numerous trips to the van for equipment and go outside to check the brush has exited the chimney correctly. For this reason the door to the property will periodically be left open. It is the responsibility of the occupier to keep any valuables in the property secure. Any valuables are to be removed from the work area for the duration of the appointment. 

PETS

• Please make sure any pets are kept out of the room being worked in at the time. The sweeping process uses a particularly powerful vacuum which is loud when in operation. Pets may become distressed and it is the responsibility of the owner to keep the pet with them and safe. As mentioned above, the access door to the property will be periodically left open. Please ensure your pet is kept secure and cannot escape. 

CHILDREN AND VUNERABLE ADULTS

•  Children and those with underlying breathing conditions are to be kept away from the work area during the sweeping appointment. We use a HEPA H13 vacuum for sweeping. Although this means almost all particulates are removed from the air (99.95%), we would prefer to not take any risks with those that might be at affected. 
• As mentioned above, due to the front or back door of the property being periodically opened, owners of the property are to ensure the safety of their children during our visit. 

CERTIFICATES

• Upon completion of a satisfactory sweep, we will issue a certificate for you to keep.
• Any advisory notes on the certificate should be addressed by the homeowner. They are for your safety. 
• If any serious faults are found on the installation, a warning notice will be issued. THE INSTALLATION IS NOT TO BE USED UNTIL REMEDIAL WORK IS CARRIED OUT. ANY USE OF THE INSTALLATION WILL BE AT THE USERS OWN RISK AND ALBANS CHIMNEYS LIMITED WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INJURIES CAUSED BY USE OF A FAULTY APPLIANCE/CHIMNEY

Parking

• We require safe and legal parking within a reasonable distance to the property. Sweeping a chimney requires a large amount of equipment so we will require parking in close proximity to safely carry equipment to the address. 
• If parking may be an issue, the customer must inform us during the booking.
• Any parking fees such as pay and display parking will be added to the customers bill if suitable parking cannot be provided. 
• On roads with residents parking, a visitor permit must be provided for the duration of the work. 
• If there is not suitable parking provided, we reserve the right to refuse to carry out the work until satisfactory parking is allocated. We will not risk our vehicle or risk damage to other road vehicles/property by parking irresponsibly. 

Appointments

• Appointment times are approximate and due to the nature of sweeping these timings can be slightly earlier or later than booked. In either case, we will do our best to keep in contact on the day and inform you if the appointment is likely to change much from the one booked. 

Payment

• Albans Chimneys take payment by card payment, bank transfer or cash. We do not accept cheques. We carry a card reader to take payments on site for your convenience. 
• Bank transfers are expected to be paid no more than 5 days from completion of works. 

Estate Agents

• If work is requested from an estate agent, the contract of work is between Albans Chimneys Limited and the estate agent/ managing agent requesting the work.
• Payment will be made by the estate agent/ managing agent regardless of whether the tenant/ landlord or property owner has paid the agent.
• Payment is expected no more than 5 working days from completion of works. 
• If the property is vacant, it is the responsibility of the managing agent to provide access at the agreed time. If access is not provided and we are not informed, we reserve the right to charge the agent a no access fee. 
• If we are required to collect and return keys for access we will charge a key collection fee. 

Cancellations

• Understandably, customers my occasionally have to rebook an appointment due to unforeseen circumstances. Please do so with as much notice as possible as we have allocated a time slot for your work.
• We reserve the right to charge a fee if we attend and there is nobody in or we are unable to gain access.
• We reserve the right to charge a late cancellation fee if the appointment is cancelled at short notice- less than 48 hours notice. 

Nesting

• Wild birds, predominantly Jackdaws, often nest in chimneys, usually between the months of April to the end of August. During nesting season it is illegal to remove a nest of a wild bird which is being built or in use, and can incur a substantial fine for the homeowner and the sweep. 
• If we find a nest during a sweep we will usually arrange to come back and remove it when it is legal to do so.

Vermiculite/ Fire bricks

• Fire bricks found in the internal parts of a stove are a renewable item. They will, over time, degrade and begin to break up, crack and crumble. Often this is not apparent until they are removed as part of the stove service/sweep. 
• We will advise you when these need replacing. It is not the fault of the sweep and we cannot be held responsible if they are found to be cracked on removal. 
• We are happy to order these for you. 

Soot

• Any soot, tar, nesting material or any other debris brought down a chimney by the sweep is a household waste. We will bag it up and it is to be disposed of in the landfill bin of the homeowner. 
• Utmost care will be taken to seal off the chimney during the sweep to prevent any soot escaping. We will not be held responsible for any debris escaping through parts of the installation that are poorly sealed such as incorrectly and ill fitting fire surrounds, vitreous pipes, register plates or closure plates. We will, of course, endeavour to seal these up before we continue.

Condition of chimney 

• We will take all necessary precautions and carry out work with utmost care when sweeping chimneys. We cannot be held responsible for any part of the condition of the chimney in disrepair or any parts which are insecure due to lack of maintenance. 
• Any birdguards, cowls, terminals or pots which become disturbed or dislodged during the sweep, or any damage to property caused by these is not the fault or responsibility of Albans Chimneys Limited. These components of the chimney should be structurally sound and it is the responsibility of the home ownwer to ensure this is the case prior to sweeping.