Saw that statistic in a NFPA report last night and it blew my mind. How many of us are just checking the flue and calling it good when the real danger is hiding above the damper?
Last fall I got called out to a rental cabin near Gatlinburg where the guests said smoke was backing up into the living room. Turns out the previous sweep had skipped a flue tile section near the top (probably just lazy or in a hurry) and there was a thick layer of glazed creosote blocking about half the draft. I had to spend an extra hour with a rotary tool to chip it out, and the owner was not happy about the extra cost. Has anyone else found glazed creosote hiding in spots that look clean from below?
I was out in Elgin on a routine cleaning when I got called to a house fire about two blocks over. The homeowner said they'd been burning unseasoned pine all winter and the creosote buildup was almost an inch thick in spots. The fire chief told me after that the liner was a total loss, and it made me realize I need to be way more upfront with customers about what wood they should burn. Has anyone else had a close call like that change how you talk to clients?
I was sweeping a 20 year old clay liner outside Nashville last month and the homeowner came out and said she could hear scraping sounds that were different from other sweeps she'd hired. She asked if I had checked the brush size against the liner diameter first. I shrugged it off until I measured and realized I was using a 10 inch brush on a 8 inch flue. Changed to a 7 inch wire brush and the difference was night and day. No more scraping sounds and I got way more soot out in one pass. Has anyone else had a customer call them out like that on a basic thing?
I was out at a 1920s farmhouse near Lancaster last week, cleaning a chimney that hadn't been touched in maybe 15 years. The creosote was layered in thick, shiny strips instead of the usual flaky coating, and it took me twice as long to scrape it all out. Has anyone else seen that kind of layered buildup on older chimneys, and does it point to a specific burning problem like wet wood?
Had a call last month in Salem where a guy insisted his chimney was fine because he only burned seasoned wood. I pulled out a brush and this chunk of creosote the size of my forearm fell out. He just stared at me and said 'I thought I was doing it right.' That moment made me realize how many people have no clue what's actually happening inside their flue. How do you guys handle explaining the danger to folks who think they know better?
Everyone talks about how quick rotary brushes make the job, but I ran into a real mess on a 1920s house with heavy creosote buildup that was almost like tar. I tried my regular 8 inch poly brush and it barely made a dent, had to switch to a chain knocker and scrape by hand for most of it. The homeowner said they hadn't cleaned it in 15 years, and I believe it from how thick that buildup was. Has anyone else dealt with creosote that hard where your usual tools just don't cut it?
I was working on a house in Portland last Tuesday and hit a massive buildup about 10 feet down that my regular rods and brush wouldn't budge. Tried every trick I knew for an hour before I finally grabbed a rotary tool with a flex shaft and chipped it out piece by piece. Has anyone else dealt with a jam that stubborn, and how long did it take you to clear it?
I was up in the Smokies last month and noticed this log cabin had a massive top damper that looked almost brand new, but the flue tile had cracks all the way down. Has anyone else run into homeowners who spend big on accessories but skip the basic liner repairs?
I was over at a supply shop in Cleveland and this old timer named Frank just walked up and said my poly brush was tearing up the clay liners. He showed me his old steel wire brush that was way more flexible and claimed he never damaged a flue in 30 years using the right tension. I always thought steel was too aggressive but after swapping for a week I can actually feel the difference when I hit a transition. Anyone else ever get told they were using the wrong brush type this late in the game?
I was reading a thread about chimney flue damage and someone mentioned that using a stiff wire brush on terracotta liners can actually score the clay over time. I checked my creosote buildup logs from the last 6 months and sure enough, I've been scratching up a customer's flue in Columbus. Has anyone else had to switch to poly brushes mid-career?
I always thought wet sweeping was a waste of time and just made a bigger mess. But last Tuesday I had a really heavy creosote buildup in an old house and the dry brush just wasn't cutting it. I figured why not try it since I had nothing to lose. Used a spray bottle with water mixed with a little dish soap before brushing and the stuff came off way easier than I expected. Anyone else use this method or stick to dry?
I was doing a routine cleaning for an old house over in Salem last Wednesday and pulled the cap off to find a dead squirrel jammed right in the flue. Poor thing must have fallen in a week or two before and got stuck. I had to spend an extra 45 minutes scraping out all the gunk and mess it left behind. The homeowner had no idea because their smoke was drafting okay still, but it was just barely getting past the blockage. I told her she needs a mesh cap installed to keep critters out, which she agreed to on the spot. Has anyone else run into animals in a flue and found a good cap brand that actually holds up?
I was sweeping a 20-year-old wood-burning fireplace in a house near Beaverton and halfway through the job, the homeowner says 'you smell something?' Next thing I know, smoke is pouring out of the cleanout door. Turns out a massive creosote chunk had fallen into the bottom and was smoldering enough to light up debris I hadn't cleared yet. I dumped my bucket of ash into my shop vac and it started smoking from the inside, had to run outside and dump it on the grass. Has anyone else had a near miss like this with a hot ash bucket?
I had a guy watch me work on a job in Pittsburgh last month and he said I was putting too much pressure on the brush head, which can actually push soot deeper into the creosote. He showed me his method using lighter passes and a different rod angle, and the difference in how clean the flue came out was night and day. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made them rethink something they thought was basic?
Had a lady in Portland back in 2021 who insisted I clean her chimney with the damper closed. I told her twice it was dangerous. She said I just wanted more money. I did it her way. Soot went everywhere in her living room. Cost her $800 for the cleanup. Has anyone else had a customer that just wouldn't listen?
I spent years fighting to get the shelf clean with a standard wire brush, always missing spots. Then a old timer in Pittsburgh showed me to cut a 45-degree angle on the bristle head and it reaches every corner now. Has anyone else modified their tools like this or am I just late to the party?
Turned out the client in Portland hadn't used their fireplace since fall and the smell was just a blocked damper, but now I'm wondering how many of us actually check for animals before we start tinkering with the liner, has anyone else found something weird up a chimney that threw off your whole diagnosis?
Ended up having to cut the rod apart with a hacksaw to pull it back out, so now I'm wondering if the regular wire brushes are just better after all for standard flues, anyone else run into this problem with the swivel kind?
Started keeping count back in October just out of curiosity but seeing that number on my notepad today made me realize how many little jobs I've been saying yes to, has anyone else tracked their yearly count and been surprised?
I heard a young sweeper at the supply house last week say rubber gloves are a waste of money because you can just wash your hands after every job. After 30 years in this trade I have to disagree - I got a nasty case of contact dermatitis from creosote in my early days that cost me 3 weeks off work. Has anyone else here dealt with skin issues from skipping gloves on a heavy soot job?
Honestly I figured the fancy lightweight stuff would make my life easier on those tall chimneys but that rod snapped on the third job. It was a 7 foot section from ChimneySweepPro in Denver and I had to pay another $200 for a steel replacement. Anyone else had bad luck with those expensive rods?
I been doing this for about 6 years now and last Thursday was one of those rare days where everything just worked. First job was a simple clean on a gas insert, no creosote build up, no birds nest, nothing. Second call was a cap replacement on a roof I could actually walk on without sliding around. Third job was a reline where the old liner came out in one piece and the new one dropped down perfect on the first try. I finished by 2pm which never happens. Usually something breaks or I find a raccoon or the homeowner wants to talk my ear off about their fireplace from 1985. Has anyone else had a day like that where the universe just let you win for once?
I was out in Portsmouth last week checking a flue in a 1700s house and the previous sweep had left a layer of soot an inch thick at the bottom. The owner said they paid $150 for a cleaning 6 months ago but I had to run a double wire brush just to get through the creosote buildup. There was a bird nest shoved halfway up the flue too, guess the guy didn't bother with a top inspection. My hands were black for two days after scraping out all that gunk. Has anyone else run into shoddy work like this charging top dollar for a half assed job?