c/chimney-sweeps

A retired sweep in Asheville said something I still think about

He watched me work on a 1920s flue for an hour, then just said 'You're cleaning the smoke, not the history.' Anyone else get a piece of advice that stuck like that?

A customer's chimney fire last month made me check my own gear

Honestly, I got called out to a house in Springfield after a small chimney fire. The homeowner was fine, but the liner was a mess. While I was up there, I noticed my own inspection mirror was totally scratched and cloudy. I'd been using it for maybe two years, just wiping it on my shirt. The guy asked me a simple question about a crack in the back of his firebox, and I realized I couldn't see it clearly at all. I was basically guessing on creosote thickness and cracks for who knows how long. I drove straight to the supply house and bought a new one, a basic Flexi-Spec. The difference was night and day. How often do you all actually replace your basic tools like that before they totally fail?

Switched from a basic brush to a SootMaster rotary head for a stubborn flue

Had a job on a 1920s house in Cedar Rapids with a flue that always felt gritty even after a standard brush. The homeowner said it had been like that for years. I finally tried a SootMaster rotary head system last month, and the amount of fine creosote dust it pulled out was shocking. The before and after difference in the smoke test was night and day. Anyone else find a specific tool that solved a long-term problem you thought was just normal?

My old boss told me to never trust a homeowner's 'just cleaned it last year' claim.

He said that in 2012, right after I found a huge nest blocking a flue they swore was clear. Tbh, I've pulled out enough debris from 'clean' chimneys in Denver to know he was dead right. How many times have you guys found a real mess after being told it was fine?

Saw a 200 year old fireplace setup at the historical society in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Question about those new flexible camera rods from the trade show in Atlanta

I saw a demo where a guy pushed one too hard on a 90-degree offset and the whole head assembly snapped clean off, so now I always check the bend radius before I go in, has anyone else had one fail like that?

A homeowner in Springfield asked me if I could just 'patch' a cracked flue liner.

I was doing an inspection on a 1920s house last fall and found a clay liner with a vertical crack running almost three feet. When I explained it needed a full replacement, he got really quiet and said, 'But my dad always said a little mortar fixes anything.' How do you guys handle explaining serious safety issues without scaring people off?

Finally bit the bullet on a new vacuum system

Was stuck between the basic shop vac setup and a proper HEPA-rated unit, went with the HEPA for about $700. My lungs and the client's white rug in that new West End development thank me, anyone have a favorite brand for the filters?

My old boss in Cincinnati would always say 'just sweep it clean' but I found a huge crack

I was cleaning a chimney for a regular client last Tuesday and everything felt normal. I was using my standard SootMaster brush and rods, going through the motions like always. When I pulled my camera down to check the work, I saw a hairline crack in the flue liner I had missed for two whole years. The owner said they'd heard a weird rattle during heavy winds, which I never asked about before. I realized I was just cleaning, not actually inspecting. How do you guys make sure you're checking for damage and not just soot?

Cleaned my 500th chimney this morning and it hit me

I was finishing up a job on a 1920s house in Oak Park, and my app ticked over to 500 total sweeps. When I started 15 years ago, I was just a kid with a set of rods and a dream. Back then, half the jobs were just basic brick flues, now I'm dealing with all these fancy stainless steel liners and high-efficiency inserts. The number itself isn't huge, but it made me think of all the soot, the weird stuff people drop down there, and the faces of folks when they see a clean fireplace. Anyone else get hit with a milestone that made you look back?

Had a customer's damper handle snap clean off in my hand yesterday.

It was a cast iron unit in a 1920s house, just gave way when I went to close it. Had to improvise with a pair of locking pliers to get the flue shut for the sweep. Anyone run into this on the really old ones?

Saw a guy using a leaf blower to clean a chimney flue yesterday

He was up on the roof of a house in Cedar Rapids, trying to blast out the creosote from the top down. That just pushes all the soot and debris into the smoke shelf and firebox, making a bigger mess and a real fire risk. How many of you have had to fix a job after someone tried a shortcut like that?

A chimney in Cedar Rapids went from clear to blocked in under a year

Cleaned a standard clay tile flue for a regular client last spring, and it was spotless. Went back this week for the yearly check and found a half inch of hard, shiny creosote buildup along the whole length. The homeowner said they started burning a lot of those pressed wood logs from the grocery store because they were cheap and easy. Those things are like creosote factories. Has anyone else seen this kind of fast buildup with those fake logs?

Unpopular opinion: I was cleaning flues wrong for my first year in business

Honestly, I was using a standard brush and rod setup on every job, thinking speed was key. Last week in a 1920s brick home in Tacoma, the owner pointed out I'd missed a huge creosote ledge near the top. He said, 'My last sweep always used a camera first, you just went straight in.' That was the tip off. I bought a cheap inspection camera the next day and my first look inside was a real eye opener. How many of you actually scope every chimney before you start brushing?

Changed my mind about those cheap plastic drop cloths

I always bought the thin ones from the hardware store because they were only about $5. After a job in Tacoma where soot soaked right through and stained a white carpet, I switched to the heavy canvas ones. The extra $15 is totally worth not having that conversation with a client again. Anyone have a good source for them that doesn't break the bank?

Found a whole nest of baby squirrels in a flue during a routine clean in Asheville

I was up on a roof last Tuesday doing a standard inspection before cleaning. When I dropped my camera down the chimney, I saw a big pile of leaves and twigs about two feet down. I carefully pulled it out with my grabber tool, and there were four tiny squirrels inside, all huddled together. The homeowner had no idea they were there, and she was so happy we found them before lighting a fire. We called a local wildlife person to move them safely. Has anyone else found animals in a place that could have been really bad?

Used a new camera scope on a 1920s flue in Cincinnati and the video feed just went black halfway up.

Why does nobody talk about the old school brick dust trick for stuck damper plates?

I had a 1920s flue in St. Paul with a damper that wouldn't budge after years of rust. Instead of forcing it and risking a break, I took a handful of the fine soot and brick dust from the cleanout, mixed it with a little 3-in-1 oil to make a gritty paste, and worked it into the hinge. Let it sit for an hour, worked it back and forth, and it freed up completely. Has anyone else tried something like this instead of reaching for the penetrating oil right away?

Back in 2021 I stopped using a full face respirator for every job, and I still think it was the right call for me.

Showerthought: my old steel brush vs the new poly one for a 1950s clay tile flue

The poly brush got the job done in half the time and didn't risk cracking the old tiles. Anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference on delicate liners?

Found a weird trick for a stuck damper in an old Baltimore row house

The lever was totally frozen on a 1928 fireplace, so I sprayed a mix of 50/50 vinegar and water into the hinge and let it sit for 20 minutes. It broke free with just a few taps from my rubber mallet after that. Has anyone else used something besides commercial penetrant for this?

Got stuck on a 1920s flue liner in Cincinnati that took me a solid 8 hours to clear

The old terra cotta tiles had shifted and jammed a section of my rotary brush so tight I had to chip it out piece by piece. Anyone else run into a liner that just refused to let go?

PSA: Had a close call with a hidden wasp nest in a chimney near Springfield

I was cleaning a brick chimney on an old farmhouse outside of Springfield. I dropped the brush down and heard a weird buzzing sound instead of the usual scrape. Pulled it back up and a whole nest of wasps came swarming out of the flue tile. I had to back off fast and wait an hour with a can of spray before I could finish the job. Anyone else run into pests hiding in places they really shouldn't be?

Update: My old way of checking for blockages was just a flashlight and a prayer

After a tricky job in Spokane last fall, I finally bought a proper inspection camera for about $400. Now I can actually see the full flue condition and show the homeowner, which has saved me from two callbacks this month alone. Has anyone else made a switch like that and found it changed how you explain the work needed?

My uncle told me to always check the damper first on a tough cleanout

He said a lot of new sweeps forget and waste time fighting a blockage that's just a stuck part. I didn't listen on a job in Boise last fall, spent an hour trying to clear what felt like a major creosote plug. Finally checked the damper and it was just seized shut. A quick spray of lubricant and it opened right up. I could have saved fifty minutes if I'd just started there. Anyone have a go-to product for freeing up a rusty damper?