c/chimney-sweeps

Update from a job in a 1920s bungalow in Pasadena

I was cleaning a flue there last week and found a huge, old bird nest that had basically turned to solid tar from decades of creosote. It took me and my partner almost three hours to chip it all out with rods and a heavy duty brush. Has anyone else run into a nest that was basically fossilized, and what's your method for getting it loose without damaging the clay liner?

The week a single brick in a 1920s flue nearly broke me

Got a call for a full clean on a huge old house in the historic district. Spent two hours just getting my rods up the main flue before they hit a solid block. Turned out a single brick had fallen from the lining and wedged itself perfectly sideways. Took me and a helper from my old crew almost a full day to chip it out without damaging the surrounding clay tile. Anyone ever run into a blockage that simple yet that much of a nightmare to clear?

Finally got the hang of that tricky Victorian flue in the old district

For months I'd try to clean those narrow, winding flues with my standard brushes and just get stuck, wasting a whole morning. Then I watched a video from a sweep in Charleston and bought a set of those flexible poly brushes, and last week I cleared one in under two hours. Has anyone else found a better tool for those really old, tight chimneys?

My grandpa told me to always bring a second drop cloth for the fireplace opening

He said, 'Kid, you'll thank me when the soot pile on the floor is bigger than the dog.' I laughed it off until a job in Boulder last fall. I pulled the main brush down and a HUGE, fluffy soot clump shot out like a cannonball, missed my cloth, and coated a white rug. That rug was NOT white anymore. Anyone have a good trick for securing those cloths better?

Heard a customer call our work 'quaint' and it got me thinking

I was finishing up a sweep on a 1920s house in Springfield last Friday, and the homeowner was on the phone in the other room. I heard him say, 'Yeah, the chimney sweep is here, it's kind of a quaint old job, isn't it?' It stuck with me the whole drive home. When I started 25 years ago with my dad, we were just the guys who kept houses from burning down. Now, with all these new high-efficiency inserts and pellet stoves, the job's changed so much. We're part home safety, part antique appliance repair, and part efficiency expert. It's not just soot and brushes anymore. I guess it's good the trade is changing, but sometimes I miss when the biggest tech talk was about which flexible rod system was best. Anyone else feel like they're doing a totally different job than when they first started?

Had a wild week with three old chimneys in the historic district

One house had a flue so blocked with nesting material it took me almost four hours to clear, and I found a whole squirrel stash of acorns up there. The next day, a client in the same area had a cracked tile liner I spotted with my camera, which saved them from a real fire risk. It felt good to fix some serious problems back to back. Anyone else have a run of jobs where everything you find is worse than it looks?

Update: That job in Boise with the 1920s flue liner changed my mind on old systems

Everyone says to just replace them, but after seeing how solid the original clay was, I now push for a proper camera inspection first. Anyone else find these old liners are often salvageable?

Had a close call with a hidden flue liner last Tuesday

Honestly, I was doing a routine clean on a 1950s brick chimney in Springfield. The homeowner said it had been fine for years, so I wasn't expecting trouble. I sent my camera down and everything looked clear, but when I started the brush, I felt a weird drag. Turns out, the original clay liner had cracked and a big section had collapsed inward, creating a jagged ledge about eight feet down. My brush got hooked on it, and if I'd pulled any harder, I could have dislodged the whole mess into the firebox. Took me three hours with a different set of rods to carefully break it up and vacuum it out. Has anyone else run into a liner failure that wasn't obvious from the top or the fireplace?

My uncle, a 40-year sweep, insisted I always carry a 6-inch mirror for a specific flue check. I thought it was old-school overkill until it saved a job in Olympia last Tuesday.

He said, 'You can't trust a camera to show you every pinhole in a clay liner joint.' Sure enough, the mirror caught a hairline crack the camera missed completely. Do you guys still use a mirror, or is it all digital inspection now?

A homeowner in Bellingham told me my clean-up was 'too clean'

I finished a sweep on a 1920s house last Tuesday and left the hearth spotless, but the owner said it looked 'wrong' without a little soot dust left behind for 'character'. Now I ask about their preference before I start the final wipe-down. Do you ever get requests to leave a bit of a mess?

Rant: A customer in Asheville insisted their flue was 8x8 inches... it was 8x13.

I brought my standard 8x8 brush and rods, only to find the liner was way bigger than they said. Had to drive back to the shop for the right gear, which wasted a whole hour. Now I bring my inspection camera to every first visit, even if the homeowner swears they know the size. Anyone else run into this kind of wrong info from a client?

Finally got my camera setup dialed for pre-inspection photos

Used to just snap a couple quick pics with my phone, but after a client in Asheville questioned some 'existing' creosote last winter, I started taking it seriously. Now I use a GoPro on a pole with a ring light, getting about 50 clear shots of every flue from top to bottom before I even touch a brush. It adds maybe 15 minutes to the job but has saved my butt twice already. What's your go-to method for documenting condition before you start a sweep?

A customer in Nashville asked if I could 'decorate' their chimney for Christmas

They wanted me to hang lights and a wreath inside the flue after I cleaned it. I had to explain that a clean chimney is a hot chimney, and decorations would be a huge fire risk. The whole thing made me think, how many folks just don't know the basics of chimney safety? What's the weirdest request you've gotten on a job?

Changed my tune on that $200 inspection camera

Bought one last fall to check a flue liner and it showed a crack I would have missed, saving me from a huge liability claim. Anyone have a brand they swear by for durability?

Can we talk about the push for all chimney sweeps to get drone certified

Last week in Boise, a supplier tried to sell me a $3,000 drone kit, saying it's the future of inspections. I disagree. Three years ago, I started using a high-quality inspection camera on a 30-foot pole, and it's never failed me. Last month, I found a cracked flue tile in an old farmhouse chimney that a drone would have missed because the angle was too tight. You need to feel the brick, listen for the brush, and see the soot up close. A screen doesn't give you the full picture. Everyone acts like tech is always better, but my hands-on method finds problems drones fly right over. What's a repair you caught that tech might have missed?

PSA: That $200 chimney camera I bought online was a total waste

I saw an ad for a cheap inspection camera and thought it would help me spot cracks. The picture was so fuzzy I couldn't tell a crack from a shadow. I ended up having to do a full manual inspection anyway, which took twice as long. Has anyone found a good, clear camera that actually works for this job?

My grandpa told me to always carry a spare set of brushes for the rotary head, even on small jobs.

I thought he was just being old-fashioned, but last month in Bozeman a customer's flue had way more creosote than expected and I wore mine right down. That extra set saved me a two-hour drive back to the shop. What's one piece of old-school advice that's actually saved your butt?

I switched from a basic brush to a rotary system three months ago and the difference is wild

For years I just used a standard fiberglass rod with a poly brush, scraping away for what felt like forever on a standard flue. Then I saw a guy at the trade show in Charlotte using a SootSweeper 2000 rotary head with flexible rods. I bought one the next week. Now I can clear a 12 inch clay liner in under 20 minutes with way less dust because the spinning action pulls debris down better. Has anyone else made a switch like this and noticed a big jump in speed?

Finally gave that camera inspection thing a real shot

I always thought those little chimney cameras were just a fancy way to charge more (you know, like a gimmick). But my boss got one for our truck about six months ago and made us use it on every job. Last week in a house in Burlington, we found a cracked flue tile the old mirror and light method would have totally missed. It was a real eye-opener. Has anyone else had a tool they didn't trust at first turn out to be a game changer?

Had a customer's clay liner collapse during a cleaning last Tuesday, total surprise.

My vacuum hose split right down the seam during a clean yesterday

I was finishing up a job on a big brick chimney in Springfield. The homeowner had a ton of soot buildup from burning wet wood. I was pulling the brush back down when I heard this loud pop, and suddenly dust was everywhere. The main hose on my SootMaster 500 had a clean split about two feet from the connector. I had to tape it up with duct tape just to finish the job, but it was a mess. The whole thing took an extra hour. I've had that hose for about four years, so I guess it was just its time. Has anyone else had a hose fail like that? What's a good brand for a replacement that can handle a lot of use?

Finally got the old Victorian on Maple to draw properly after three visits

The owner called today to say they had their first smoke-free fire in a decade, all because we switched from a standard brush to a poly whip for the final pass. Anyone else find those whips make a huge difference on those tight, historic flues?

I thought those thermal imaging cameras were just a fancy toy until a job in Denver last month.

I was checking a standard brick chimney and the camera showed a cold spot behind the flue liner that I never would have felt by hand. It turned out to be a serious crack in the clay tile that was letting heat into the wall cavity. Has anyone else found a hidden problem with one of those cameras that changed your mind?

I used to think a stiff brush was best for every job, but a flexible one saved a tricky flue last month.

I was cleaning a narrow, slightly bent flue in a 1920s house in Springfield. My old 8-inch stiff poly brush kept getting stuck and just wasn't cleaning the sides well. I switched to a 6-inch flexible wire brush I had in the truck, and it bent with the flue and got all the creosote off the back wall in one pass. The difference was the brush could move with the shape of the chimney instead of fighting it. Anyone have a go-to flexible brush brand they trust for old masonry?

Pro tip: always check the damper before you start

I was cleaning a flue in a 1920s house in Portland and the homeowner swore it was open. My brush got stuck hard about three feet in because the damper was actually rusted shut. Had to use a mirror and a long pry bar to work it loose before I could finish the job. Anyone have a better way to check a sticky damper without crawling all the way up there?