Hot take: The old brick chimneys are fading out fast

When I first got into sweeping, most homes had those sturdy brick stacks. Now, I see a lot more metal liners in new places. They're easier to clean, but don't have the same character. I remember figuring out the twists in an old flue felt like solving a riddle. Guess that's just how things go.

3 comments

3 Comments

tyler_white421mo ago

My uncle was a sweeper for 40 years and he always complained about the brick flues. So hearing someone say it felt like solving a riddle is just wild to me. Those old chimneys were so unpredictable. One wrong move and you could get stuck or miss a whole section. Metal liners might be boring, but at least they're straightforward. You know what you're getting. Plus, the safety issues with cracked bricks? No thanks.

elliot_morgan1mo ago

Guess @tyler_white42's uncle would've loved the predictability of metal liners, huh?

ryan_sanchez1mo ago

Forget getting stuck, the real puzzle was figuring out the original mason's mood that day. A good brick flue has a kind of logic, a flow you can follow if you pay attention. The bad ones feel like they were built by someone who hated the next guy. Metal is safe and easy, sure, but it's just a tube. There's no story in a tube.