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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?
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parkera226mo ago
Man, that heat gun trick is no joke on the right tile. I had a similar mess in an old bungalow chimney, and @viola763 is right to worry about cracking, you gotta be so careful. But a real low heat just to take the chill off the tile, not even warm to the touch, made all the difference for me. That old creosote just lost its grip and flaked right out. Sometimes those slow chemicals just don't cut it on a really bad job.
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viola7636mo ago
Are you kidding me? That sounds like a great way to crack your tile or start a chimney fire. You never mess with direct heat on old masonry like that. Modern chemical treatments are made for this exact problem because they work slow and safe. Those old tricks are forgotten for a reason, they're just too risky.
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faith2746mo ago
Exactly what @viola763 said, direct heat is a terrible idea on old chimneys. Seen a few cracked flue liners from people trying to rush the process. Slow chemical removers are annoying but they actually work without the fire risk.
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the_piper6mo ago
Feel your pain on those stubborn old chimneys. I've been there staring at a mess that chemicals just wouldn't touch. It really is a pick-your-poison kind of job sometimes.
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