Am I the only one who thinks newer chimney brushes are worse than the old steel ones?

I see everyone raving about those nylon brushes with the plastic rods now. But I got a job on a flue in a 1920s house in Portland last Tuesday. That old soot buildup was baked on like concrete. My nylon brush just slid over it. I had to run to my truck and grab a traditional steel brush I bought 12 years ago. That thing cut through the creosote in 3 passes. People say steel damages liners but I think that's overblown. Has anyone else had bad luck with these newer brush materials?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesm4815d ago

The old steel ones just plain work better on tough jobs. Maybe those nylon brushes are fine for newer houses with cleaner burning stoves, but old flues need the real deal.

butler.finley14d agoMost Upvoted

Fine for newer houses with cleaner burning stoves" - found the guy with a brand new stove and a pristine flue lol. Meanwhile I'm scraping out 40 years of good old fashioned creosote wondering if my steel brush is going to survive another season.