leow90•22d agoProlific Poster

Old timer in Columbus taught me a lesson about creosote buildup

I was sweeping a flue for this retired carpenter last fall and he watched me like a hawk the whole time. Halfway through he stops me and says 'you're missing the smoke shelf, son' - and sure enough I had skipped it like I always do. He made me spray a mirror on a stick up there and I saw this thick crust of creosote I'd been ignoring for years. Has anyone else had a customer call them out on something you thought was standard?

3 comments

3 Comments

kareng2722d ago

Eh, I dunno, a little creosote never killed nobody, right?

zara_hill4622d ago

Is it actually that big a deal though? Feels like people worry about everything these days.

andrew85420d ago

You ever had that moment where you realize you've been doing something wrong for years and nobody told you? That's rough, man. I feel for you, that old timer probably saved you from a bad chimney fire down the line. Creosote buildup is nothing to mess with, it can get real nasty real quick. I had a buddy who skipped cleaning his flue for like two seasons and ended up with a chimney fire that nearly took his roof off. So yeah, that little crusty stuff is a big deal, no matter what anyone says. It's good that someone finally called you out on it, even if it stung a little.