Switched from polypro to cotton rope brushes after a lodge job in Vermont

I used to swear by polypro brushes for everything. Thought they were tougher and lasted longer. Then I got a call from an old inn up in Stowe, VT back in February. They had a massive buildup of what looked like glazed creosote. My polypro brush just slid over it like it was nothing. I spent 3 hours hitting that same spot over and over. The homeowner came out and asked if I was okay. Embarrassing. A guy from the next town over who does this full time was grabbing lunch at the same diner and told me cotton rope brushes have way more friction and actually scrape that glaze off. I tried it on the next job and it cut my time by half. Now I keep one in the truck for any chimney that looks like it gets hot fires. Anyone else find one brush type just works better for certain buildup?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantw3223d ago

Solidarity here. That glazed creosote is a real pain and polypro just doesn't have the grit to deal with it. Cotton rope brushes really do grab that stuff better, especially on the hot-running chimneys that create that glass-like layer. The friction makes a huge difference when you're working against that hard buildup. Glad that diner conversation saved you some time, those random tips from seasoned guys are gold. It's rough feeling like you're giving a half-baked job when your tools just aren't matching the problem.

claire_hart5323d ago

Hold on, are we sure cotton rope brushes are actually better here? I've had the opposite experience where those things just shed fibers and jam up the brush head, making it a bigger hassle than polypro. Plus that extra friction you're talking about? On a hot-running chimney, that can actually be a fire risk if the brush gets stuck and you're grinding it against that glass layer. Maybe the diner guy was blowing smoke about his miracle fix.

logan_ellis22d agoMost Upvoted

A small point, cotton rope brushes don't actually use rope fibers anymore, most are made from tightly wound cotton yarn that's less prone to shedding than the old-style stuff. Still agree that the jam-up issue can happen though, especially if you're running a brush that's too big for the flue.