Unpopular opinion: I tried a cheap brush on a really old flue and it worked better than my expensive one.

I mean, it was a $15 nylon brush from the hardware store, and I was just trying to clear some light soot in a 1920s house. The thing is, the bristles were way more flexible and got into the weird mortar gaps my stiff wire brush always missed. Has anyone else had a cheap tool surprise them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan16523d ago

Totally get that with old houses. My grandpa's place had these weird, uneven bricks in the basement. Bought a fancy scraper for paint, but a cheap plastic putty knife from a gas station bent just right to get under the loose bits without gouging the soft brick. Sometimes the simple stuff just fits the weird job better.

robin_henderson8122d ago

Sounds like a lot of fuss over some old bricks, @ivan165.

troy83220d ago

Old bricks" are the whole point though. That weird fit and handmade look is what gives an old house its soul. A new perfect brick would stick out like a sore thumb. The fuss is about keeping the character, not just patching a wall.