Using an old farmhouse fireplace for the first time

Why the first fire needs care

Old farmhouses and houses of character in Gozo and rural Malta, in places like Għarb (Gharb), Xagħra (Xaghra), Nadur, Żebbuġ (Zebbug) and Għasri (Ghasri), often have a fireplace that has not been lit for years, sometimes decades. They are a big part of the appeal. But a chimney that has sat cold and unused is rarely ready for a fire.

Over the years:

• birds nest in the flue and in the pot,
• mortar crumbles and falls inside, narrowing the flue,
• soot and old creosote remain from the last fires,
• damp and salt work into the stone, especially near the coast,
• the stack itself can crack or lose stones on the roof.

Lighting a fire before these are dealt with risks smoke filling the room, a chimney fire or carbon monoxide building up unnoticed.

What you can look at yourself

Before the sweep comes, you can do a quick check with a torch:

• The hearth and grate: twigs, straw, feathers, droppings or fallen mortar point to a nest or loose stonework. See bird nests in chimneys.
• Up the flue: you may see daylight, heavy soot, roots or debris. Do not poke at anything.
• The fireplace itself: cracks in the stone around the opening, loose stones or a sagging lintel.
• The stack on the roof: from a safe place, look for leaning, cracks, missing stones or a missing pot.
• Stains on walls next to the chimney or in the room above, which can mean smoke or damp has been getting through.

Note what you find and tell the sweep.

What a sweep does on an old flue

Sweep and clear

The sweep seals off the fireplace, then clears the flue with rods and brushes, bringing down nests, soot, debris and loose material. Old stone chimneys can be wide and irregular, so this can take longer than a modern flue.

Look for damage

With the flue clear, the sweep looks for problems: cracked or missing stones, gaps in the mortar, partial collapse, damp and anything that could let smoke or gases escape into the house or the roof space. Many sweeps use a camera for this.

Run a smoke test

A smoke test shows how the flue behaves. Smoke is released at the base of the flue and the sweep watches whether it:

• rises steadily without hesitating or rolling back into the room,
• comes out only at the top of the chimney,
• leaks anywhere it should not, such as into another room, the roof or a neighbour’s property.

Thick stone stacks are slow to warm up, so a cold flue may draw weakly at first. The sweep can tell you whether that is normal or a sign of a problem. See why a fireplace smokes into the room.

Shared chimneys

In terraced farmhouses and older townhouses, chimneys sometimes share a stack with a neighbour’s. A problem in one flue can affect the other. If your sweep thinks the flue is shared or connected, it is worth speaking to the neighbour, and to a builder about any work.

Liners and repairs

Old Maltese and Gozitan fireplaces were usually built straight into the stone, without the liners used in modern flues. Many still work well for an occasional open fire once swept and checked. Others need work:

• repointing loose or missing mortar,
• repairs to the stack or the pot,
• a liner, especially if you plan to fit a wood burner or pellet stove, or if the flue is damaged.

This is work for a builder, mason or stove installer, not a sweep. Ask your architect if the house is being restored. We do not give guidance on building rules or permits. See open fireplace, wood burner or pellet stove if you are deciding whether to fit a stove.

Before the first fire

• Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in the room. See carbon monoxide alarms for stoves and fireplaces.
• Use dry wood only. Old flues struggle with wet wood. See the best firewood for a wood burner, which applies to open fires too.
• Start small. Light a small fire first to warm the flue, and watch for smoke coming back into the room.
• Use a fireguard, and keep anything that burns well away from the hearth.
• Never leave it unattended, and make sure it is out before bed.

How often after that

Once it is in use, sweep at least once a year before the season, in September or October, and a second time mid-season if you use it a lot. See how often to sweep a chimney. If you have just bought the property, see buying an old townhouse or farmhouse for the other things to check.

Booking a first sweep

We arrange chimney sweeping across Malta and in Gozo, including first sweeps and smoke tests on fireplaces that have not been used for years. Get a quote and tell us how long the fireplace has been unused.