c/chimney-sweeps

Question about cleaning a really old fireplace in Savannah

I was working on a 150 year old house downtown last Tuesday and found a hidden flue behind a loose brick. The owner said it hadn't been touched in maybe 50 years. What's the safest way to check for cracks in something that old without causing more damage?

My cousin in construction says our trade is dying because of new furnace rules

He told me over coffee that with the push for electric heat pumps and high efficiency sealed gas units, the need for sweeps will drop by half in ten years. I argued back that older homes with fireplaces and wood stoves will always need service, plus we do inspections and liner repairs. He just shrugged and said 'adapt or find another trade'. It got me thinking about the long term. For those of you with a few decades in, do you see the work drying up, or just changing?

Why does nobody talk about the old brick flues in the historic district of Savannah?

I was working on a 1920s home there last week and the mortar joints were so worn that my brush was catching on the actual brick edges, not just the creosote.

A simple thing I was missing on my brush connections

For about two years, I was getting so frustrated with my brush rods coming loose in the middle of a sweep. I'd be up on a roof in Dayton, fighting a tough creosote plug, and the joint would start to spin. I'd have to stop, climb down, and re-tighten everything, adding at least 20 minutes to the job. I just figured it was cheap rods. Then, a few months back, I was helping a new guy on his first solo job. I watched him put his rods together and he gave each connection a solid quarter-turn past hand-tight, not just until it stopped. He said his dad, who did this for 30 years, taught him that. I tried it the next day and haven't had a single rod come apart since. It was such a basic fix for a problem that was costing me time and money. Has anyone else found a small change like that made a huge difference in their daily work?

A customer in Asheville asked me a question that stuck with me

I was cleaning a chimney on an old farmhouse yesterday, and the homeowner asked if I ever worry about the soot getting into my lungs long-term. He said his grandfather was a sweep and coughed a lot in his later years. I've always worn my basic mask, but his comment made me actually look up the specs on my respirator. Turns out it's not rated for the fine particulate I deal with daily. Has anyone else switched to a specific P100 mask they'd recommend for this job?

I finally listened to a homeowner in Portland who said my cleanout was too messy

They pointed out the soot dust on their patio, so I switched to a heavier drop cloth and a shop vac with a HEPA filter. Anyone else get grief about dust control and change their setup?

Tried using a leaf blower to clear a chimney in a pinch last Tuesday, got a face full of soot and a lesson.

I hit 500 sweeps and realized I've been doing something wrong for years

Everyone says to always use a wire brush on masonry, but after my 500th job I checked my old work with a camera and saw the wire was leaving micro-scratches that hold more soot. I've switched to poly brushes for everything but the worst creosote. Anyone else make a switch that went against common advice?

A brick liner collapse in a 1920s house in Portland changed my whole inspection routine

I was doing a standard sweep on a chimney in an old Portland home last fall. The homeowner said it had been fine, but when I ran my camera up, I saw a section of the clay tile liner had completely fallen in, blocking about a foot of the flue. It was hidden behind soot and looked okay from below. Now I always do a full video scan before I even start cleaning, no matter what the customer says. Has anyone else found a hidden problem that made you add a step to your process?

Switched from rods to a rotary system for a tricky flue in Denver

I always stuck with my old steel rods for every job, thinking they were the only real way to get a proper clean. Then I got called to a historic home with a super narrow, offset flue that my rods just couldn't navigate properly. Has anyone else made the switch for specific jobs, and what system do you like?

Question about creosote buildup in newer gas fireplaces

I read a report from the Chimney Safety Institute that said even gas units can develop significant creosote deposits, especially if they're venting improperly. Found that out while looking up codes for a job in Albany last month. Anyone else run into this more often lately?

My 20 foot extension ladder slipped on some wet leaves last Tuesday in Springfield.

The way I handle old clay flue liners is completely different now

For years, I'd just chip away at a cracked liner with a hammer and chisel, sending dust everywhere. Then last fall in a 1920s house in Portland, a big piece fell and almost hit my foot. I switched to using a rotary hammer with a diamond bit, which takes longer but is way safer. It's a pain but better than getting hurt. Anyone else have a better method for taking out those old liners without making a huge mess?

PSA: That $400 thermal camera was a total waste for my sweeps

Everyone says you need one to spot hidden blockages, but after using it on 20 jobs in Cincinnati, it never showed me anything my rods and camera didn't already find. I feel like it just made the process slower for no real benefit. Am I the only sweep who thinks this tool is overrated for our day-to-day work?

Had a real scare with a hidden flue liner tear last week

I was cleaning a standard brick chimney in a 1920s house over in the old north side. The homeowner mentioned a slight draft smell, but nothing major. I ran my brush down, everything felt normal until I got about 12 feet down. The brush just... caught. Not on creosote, but it felt like it snagged on something sharp. Pulled it back up and saw a tiny metal shaving on the bristles. Got my inspection camera in there and sure enough, there was a 6-inch vertical tear in the old stainless steel liner, totally hidden behind a mortar bulge. The draft was pulling fumes right into the brickwork. I had to tell the owner they couldn't use their fireplace at all until it was fixed, which they were not happy about. Ended up helping them source a local guy who does liner repairs for a fair price. Ever had a brush catch on something that wasn't just gunk? How do you guys check for liner damage when you can't see it?

TIL my grandpa was right about using a wet rag for a stubborn damper

He told me 15 years ago to 'soak a shop rag and wrap the hinge for an hour' when a damper in an old Buffalo house wouldn't budge, but I always thought my penetrating oil was better. Yesterday, after my can of Kroil did nothing on a 1920s flue, I tried his way and it opened smooth as butter. Do you guys have any other old-school tricks for stuck antique hardware?

Just spent a whole day on a blocked flue in a 1970s ranch house.

The damper was seized solid with creosote, took me 8 hours to finally get it free. Anyone have a better method than a torch and a big pry bar for that?

Talked to a retired sweep at the hardware store and he dropped a truth bomb about creosote logs

I was grabbing some rods at the place on Main Street yesterday and got chatting with this older guy, Frank. He did this job for forty years. I mentioned a customer asked me about those creosote cleaning logs you see at the store. Frank just shook his head and said, 'Those things are a band-aid on a bullet wound... they make folks feel better for about six months, then they forget they ever had a problem.' He said he's seen three chimney fires over the years where the homeowner swore they used those logs regular. It hit different because it wasn't some sales pitch, just a guy who's seen it all telling it straight. Makes you think about how we explain the real risk to people. Anyone else run into customers who think a $20 log replaces a proper cleaning?

A lady in Cincinnati told me she never gets her flue cleaned because her fireplace 'looks fine' and it still haunts me

A customer in Boise told me my cleaning quote was way too low for the job.

They said, 'You're not charging for the time it takes to set up and clean up the mess.' I started adding a flat $50 setup fee to every estimate after that. Do you think a separate fee is fair, or should it just be baked into the total price?

A homeowner in Boise told me my camera work was too fast to follow.

I was showing a client the video from a recent inspection, and she said she couldn't see the cracks I was pointing out because I panned past them too quick. Now I slow right down and say what I'm looking at as I film. How do you make sure your inspection videos are clear for customers?

Switched to a SootMaster 360 brush for tight flues last month

Honestly, I used to just muscle through narrow chimneys with a standard wire brush and a lot of elbow grease. After a tough job on a 6x9 flue in an old Boston brownstone, a guy at the supply house told me to try the SootMaster 360's flexible head. Ngl, it cut my time in half and got way more creosote off the tile. Anyone else found a better tool for those really tight, square flues?

Had a customer in Asheville ask me why I always start at the top

I explained it's to keep the soot from falling on the clean damper, and she said 'So you're working clean to dirty, like an artist.' Has anyone else had a client reframe the job in a way that stuck with you?

I used to think those flexible cleaning rods were just a gimmick until I got a job on a 1920s house in Savannah.

I was in an old hardware store in Lancaster yesterday and saw they still sell those heavy canvas drop cloths we used to use.