Rant: Worst Tuesday I've had in 8 years of sweeping

Last Tuesday I hit a house on Maple Street where the homeowner hadn't cleaned their chimney in over a decade. I pulled out a solid 5 gallon bucket full of creosote chunks and this sticky black tar that coated everything. My brush got stuck halfway down the flue and I had to climb up on the roof in 90 degree heat to yank it free. Has anyone else dealt with a flue that narrow where a standard 8 inch brush just binds up?

2 comments

2 Comments

riveradams19d ago

Did you catch that episode on the Sweep Talk podcast where a guy mentioned how older homes sometimes have those tapered flues that just eat standard brushes? Sounds like that might be your problem right there, especially if the creosote had built up unevenly. A segmented poly brush might work better next time since it can flex around those narrow spots without binding.

taylor.amy19d ago

Could the original flue liner be ceramic instead of just old clay, since those taper differently?