c/chimney-sweeps

Saw a homeowner in Springfield try to clean their flue with a garden hose last week.

They thought a quick spray would clear the creosote, but I had to explain how that just makes a dangerous, acidic sludge that can ruin the liner and cause a bigger fire risk later.

Showerthought: a stubborn creosote buildup in a 1920s flue made me switch my brush technique

I used to just push straight up and down, but after that job in the old Craftsman on Maple Street, I started adding a slow twist on the pull-down. Anyone else have a specific move for really old, narrow chimneys?

My extension ladder slipped on a wet roof in Tacoma last Friday

It was a light drizzle and I didn't secure the feet properly. What's your go-to method for wet weather ladder safety?

Found out my town had over 200 chimney fires in the 1920s

I was looking at some old city records at the library for a project... and I saw a line about 'chimney conflagrations' from 1925. The clerk said they logged 217 calls that year alone. It makes sense with all the old coal furnaces back then, but I never pictured it being that many. Has anyone else come across old stats like that in their area?

Got into it with a homeowner in Boise over a full liner replacement last Thursday.

He insisted his 1970s clay flue was fine after a basic cleaning, but I showed him a 3-inch crack and a missing tile. He called me a scammer trying to upsell, but my boss backed me up and we walked. Do you ever push for the full repair even if it costs you the job?

Vent: I always used a standard brush for old brick flues, but a friend lent me his poly brush for a job in Savannah

I mean, the old brick in that house was so crumbly, I was worried about damaging it. The poly brush just glided through and got way more of the fine soot out without any scraping sounds. It was a 8x13 flue, and I finished the whole thing in maybe half the time. Anyone else switch to poly for older masonry and notice a big difference?

Rant: Bought a cheap camera for inspections and it broke after two jobs

I got a no-name inspection camera online for $150 thinking it would save me some cash. The screen went black halfway through a second floor flue check in a house on Maple Street. Had to finish the job blind and lost the fee for that day, about $200 total. What do you guys use for cameras that can handle the soot and heat?

Unpopular opinion: I tried a cheap brush on a really old flue and it worked better than my expensive one.

I mean, it was a $15 nylon brush from the hardware store, and I was just trying to clear some light soot in a 1920s house. The thing is, the bristles were way more flexible and got into the weird mortar gaps my stiff wire brush always missed. Has anyone else had a cheap tool surprise them like that?

Just had a customer in Denver tell me I was overcharging for a basic sweep

He said his buddy does it for $75 flat, no matter the size or condition. I had just quoted him $150 after seeing his 40-foot clay flue that hadn't been touched in maybe a decade. I explained the time, the gear, and the risk, but he just kept saying 'It's just soot.' I mean, idk, maybe it's just me but that attitude really gets under my skin. It's not just soot, it's a potential house fire. Has anyone else run into this kind of pushback lately, especially with people trying to cut costs?

I always thought those infrared chimney cameras were a gimmick until I found a hidden crack in a flue in Boise last month.

Showerthought: My worst week ever was cleaning a 150-year-old flue in Savannah where the soot was like wet cement.

It took me three full days with a heavy-duty rotary whip and a gallon of creosote remover just to get it clear, and I'm still finding black grit in my truck a month later, so has anyone else dealt with a historic chimney that felt more like an archeological dig?

I was cleaning a chimney in a 1920s house in Cincinnati and the damper handle broke off in my hand.

I mean, I've been using the same old steel brush on every job for years, just assuming it was fine. The homeowner pointed out the flue tiles looked more scratched than clean, and that got me thinking. I borrowed a buddy's poly brush for the next job, and the difference in the soot removal was crazy, way less dust too. Has anyone else switched brush types and been surprised by the results?

I was reading an old trade journal from 1972 and found a wild fact about creosote buildup

It was in a stack of papers at a yard sale in Cincinnati. The article said that in a single heating season, a poorly drafting fireplace can produce over 20 gallons of liquid creosote in the flue. I always knew it was a lot, but that number really stuck with me. Has anyone else come across stats that made them double-check their inspection routines?

Finally swapped my old poly brushes for a set of SootSweeper steel ones last month

The steel ones cut my time on a standard flue in half because they don't bend and actually scrape the hard glaze. Anyone else made a switch that felt like a total game changer?

My grandpa told me to always check the damper from the top down, not the bottom up. He was right, lol.

PSA: I finally switched from a basic brush to a rotary whip system for heavy creosote

For about eight years, I just used the standard stiff-bristle brush on a pole, especially for those tough, glazed-up flues in older homes around Pittsburgh. Last fall, a guy I met at a trade show in Harrisburg convinced me to try a rotary whip head on a flexible rod. The difference was night and day on a nasty chimney I did just two weeks ago; it cut my cleaning time almost in half and got a much cleaner finish. Has anyone else made that switch, and what brand of whip do you prefer?

Finally cleared a flue that had me stumped for three weeks

Got a call for a house in the old part of town, one of those places with a weird, narrow chimney from the 1920s. The owner said it hadn't been cleaned in over a decade and smoke was backing up. My standard rods and brushes just weren't cutting it, they'd get stuck or skip over a section. I went back three times feeling pretty beat. Finally, I dug out an old, extra-flexible poly brush I hardly ever use, the one with the really short bristles. Went slow, added a section at a time, and after about an hour of careful work, I pulled out a solid plug of creosote the size of a football. The difference in the draft test was night and day. Has anyone else found that sometimes the less common tool is the right one for a tricky old flue?

Had to choose between a standard brush and a poly brush for a tight flue in an old Boston brownstone

The flue was only 8x8 inches and had some serious creosote buildup. I went with the poly brush because it's more flexible, and it actually worked great without getting stuck. Anyone else have a go-to tool for those really narrow, old chimneys?

A job in Santa Fe made me rethink my whole approach to old adobe chimneys

I was cleaning a 200 year old adobe fireplace last month and found the mortar was basically just dust behind the soot. The owner said 'it's been fine for decades,' but one good push with the brush could have brought it down. How do you guys check for structural soundness before you even start a sweep on these really old builds?

A homeowner in Tacoma argued with me about creosote logs, said they're a full replacement for a sweep

I was finishing a job last Thursday when the customer showed me a box of those chemical creosote logs. He said his brother-in-law told him using one every month means he never needs a professional cleaning. I explained that while they can help reduce some glaze, they don't remove the existing buildup or check for blockages and cracks. My view is they're a supplement, not a replacement. But he was really convinced it saved him $250 a year. Has anyone else run into this belief, and how do you handle that talk?

Remember when we used to just poke at the flue tile with a brush?

Had a stubborn creosote buildup in a 1920s flue in Pasadena last month, and the old methods weren't cutting it. I tried a trick an old timer showed me years ago, using a heat gun on low to gently warm the tile before brushing, and it came off in sheets. Anyone else find those forgotten tricks still work best on the really old builds?

The job in Burlington that made me stop trusting every 'clean' inspection camera feed

I was on a standard sweep in an old Victorian last fall, the kind with three flues. The homeowner showed me the report from the last guy, complete with camera footage showing a clear, clean flue. It looked perfect on his little screen. Something felt off, so I ran my own camera up. About eight feet up, behind a slight offset, the camera showed a thick, hardened glaze of creosote the other feed had completely missed. The angle was just wrong, or the light was bad, but his 'all clear' was a fire hazard waiting to happen. Ever since then, I don't care how good someone else's video looks. I put my own eyes on it, or my own camera, every single time. It added maybe fifteen minutes to my jobs, but it's non-negotiable now. Has anyone else found a big difference between camera brands or setups for spotting that kind of hidden buildup?

I bought a $400 thermal camera to find leaks and it barely helped on brick chimneys.

Some sweeps swear by them for efficiency, but mine just showed the whole house was cold. Anyone found a cheaper tool that actually works for this?

My old way of checking for blockages was a real pain before I switched to a camera system

For years I just used a mirror and a flashlight, which meant a lot of climbing and guessing, especially on those tall chimneys in the older neighborhoods. After a tricky job in Springfield where I missed a partial bird's nest, I invested in a cheap inspection camera and it changed the game. Do you think the pricier models with better lights are worth the extra cash?

Warning: I chose a poly brush over steel for a tough creosote job and it worked better.

Everyone at the supply house said to always use a steel brush on a heavy buildup, but I grabbed a poly one for a nasty chimney in an old farmhouse. It flexed around the clay liner edges and didn't scratch anything, plus it cleaned just as well. Has anyone else tried this on a bad creosote job?