Chimney sweep (Ramonage Mecanique?)

[Angie]

Hi, can anyone recommend a chimney sweep near Quillan or who covers that area please? Have checked pagesjeune but the majority seem to be either Carcassonne or north of Foix and I would guess that's too far for them to come. Thank you

[Loiseau]

A French friend of mine warned me about booking anyone who is ONLY a chimney sweep. He said it was often a favourite low-investment occupation of "travellers".

He recommended always using someone who is also a plumber - he says the two occupations often go hand in hand, for some reason.

Angela

[EuroTrash]

Most sweeps round here are also roofers.

(Which actually sounds far more logical to me, to combine chimney sweeping with roofing rather than plumbing...)

[Mac]

My chimney sweep would have great difficulty being anything else as well as a sweep. He is booked for months in advance-his diary is always full. Everyone around here uses him, everyone knows his name. Not taking on new customers as he has no more space.

[alittlebitfrench]

We tend to get our chimney swept in the summer.

There are qualified outfits that just do chimney sweeping. In my experience they do a better job.

[NormanH]

I would have thought that Carcassonne would be near enough to Quillan...

Is there a shortage of sweeps?

My son is one in the UK, but was asking if there is any work over here.

[Angie]

Hi Norman, you need to get your son over here asap - sounds like there would be more than enough work for him. Telephoned two companies in Carcassonne, they only operate within a 50km radius. Still after recommendations of specific companies/individuals if there's anyone out there!! Thank you

[alittlebitfrench]

@ Norman

Our chimney sweep is about 25 years old. He left uni with a computing degree. He did not want to do that so he and his mates looked around to see what they could do.

They saw a gap in the market for ramonage.

So they all went on the required courses to become fully trained. One works in Normandy, the other Brittany, and the other in the Loire. They have a secretary who takes all their calls and then clusters their customers according to the various regions to reduce millage. .

Each day they all do about about 8-10 houses throughout the year at 60 euros a time. In summer in is 45 euros (or something like that). They travel miles all over their regions each week. Not like those wimps down in Carcasonne.

That is how you do it.

[EuroTrash]

Our local sweep is a family business. First time I got them out it was Dad and lad that came, and lad was a shy scruffy little scrap of a boy whose voice had barely broken, I suppose he must have been 16 but he didn't look it. Now, Dad has retired and lad has grown into a strapping confident young chap who has a sidekick of his own to help him, and Mum still answers the phone. I expect before long he'll get married, and his wife will take over the phone, and eventually he'll have his own lad to bring into the business. Grand little set-up.

[Loiseau]

Have you looked in your local yellow pages, Angie? You should find one in your area that way.

Re the cost, I had one done recently in the Vendee, and it cost 52 euros.

Angela

[Angie]

Well good on them, what an enterprising bunch they sound. Glad they are kept busy and earning a good living. 50 - 60 euros sounds about the going rate. Yes, have used the local yellow pages - only local chap I can find is booked up, so shall keep looking. The woodburner is only just 2 years old and has probably only been used for 6 weeks in that time so it could actually wait until after winter when hopefully the local chap will be less busy.

[EuroTrash]

This time of year if I rang up now I would expect to be given a date in 5 or 6 weeks' time, maybe further ahead. I would suggest you take any appointment he offers rather than leave it, because it's important to have an up to date certificate, for your own peace of mind. If the chimney hasn't been used for a long time there may be a risk that birds have nested in it, and you wouldn't want to set a birds nest on fire especially if you don't have a sweeping certificate to show the insurers.

[mint]

I can't believe how much the cost of ramonage has gone down!

The last facture I had for 2 chimneys (one really easy with a stainless steel straight flue outside the house) cost me 180 euros.  THAT, I was assured by people in the locality was actually slightly cheaper than some others.  I would say that would be perhaps 8 years ago and in department 17.

So competition must have arrived in France!  Hooray!

Now have no open fires and therefore, even if high, that would be the last ramonage bill I would ever have to pay[:D]