c/chimney-sweeps

My old flexible rod snapped clean in half on a job last Tuesday in the Heights.

Just saw a stat from the CSIA saying a blocked flue can fill a room with deadly gas in under 3 minutes.

Found it buried in their safety course materials and it's been stuck in my head all week, making me double-check every single cap and screen I install now.

Overheard a homeowner in Denver say 'a clean chimney is just for looks' and it made me want to scream.

Got a brick stuck in a flue up in Portland last fall, ended up having to get creative with a magnet and some rope lol

The switch from clay to metal liners in old houses around here

When I started twenty years back, almost every job in our historic district was fixing cracked clay tile liners. Now, I'd say eight out of ten of those same repairs are full metal liner inserts. The big shift came around 2010 when the local building code started really pushing for listed liner systems in pre-1940 homes. It changed the whole job; less messy mortar work, but you need to be real careful measuring the old flue. Anyone else notice their repair jobs leaning this way now?

PSA: My $200 rotary drill head seized up on a brick chimney cap last week...

I'm torn between just buying a new one or trying to rebuild it myself, so what's your go-to move when a core tool fails mid-job?

That flue liner in the old brick house on Elm Street was a total nightmare

I thought it would be a simple two-hour job, but the original clay liner was shattered and the mortar was crumbling. It took me and my apprentice a full eight hours to chip it all out and get the new stainless steel liner seated properly. Anyone else run into a hidden mess like that behind what looked like a decent crown?

Spent $400 on a high-end camera scope three years ago and it's paid for itself ten times over

Bought a cheap rotary drill for cleaning out flues and it broke after two jobs

Spent $120 on a 'heavy duty' model from a discount tool site, and the motor burned out trying to clear a standard creosote plug. Now I'm out the cash and had to rush to buy a real one for a job this morning. Anyone know a good brand that can actually handle this work?

Just read in an old trade journal that a single chimney fire can hit 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in under a minute.

Found that stat in a 1998 issue of 'Sweep's Journal' I picked up at a yard sale, and it really makes you double-check every creosote inspection, doesn't it?

Hot take: I think the 'always use a full containment system' rule is overkill for some jobs

Got a call for a simple cleaning on a ranch house with a straight, modern flue in Greenville. My crew wanted to set up the full plastic sheeting and zip wall, but I said just use the drop cloth and a good vacuum. It saved us almost an hour and the client was happy with the lower bill. Anyone else think the one-size-fits-all containment rule needs a second look for straightforward jobs?

Had a chimney fire scare on a job in Burlington last fall that made me switch to a stricter inspection routine.

Found a half-inch crack in the flue liner that the homeowner swore was 'fine from last year's sweep', so now I always do a full video scan before I even start the brush, even if it adds 20 minutes to the job - what's your must-do check that others might skip?

I used to think a basic brush was enough for every job

For my first three years, I just used the same standard poly brush on every chimney, no matter what. Last fall, I got a call for a really old, narrow flue in a house built in 1928. My usual brush got stuck, and I spent an extra hour just wrestling it. The next day, I bought a set of three different sized wire brushes. Now, I measure the flue first and pick the brush that fits just right. It cuts my time down by almost half on those tricky old ones. Anyone else have a go-to tool they switched to after a tough job?

Question about those new flexible chimney rods

Bought a set for $180 thinking they'd be a game changer for tight flues. They just bent and twisted on the first real job, costing me half a day. Anyone have a solid brand they trust for older brick chimneys?

A job in Boulder last month made me rethink my whole approach to creosote buildup

I was cleaning a chimney for a house that had a new wood stove installed just two years ago. The homeowner said they only burned seasoned wood, but when I got up there, the flue had over a quarter inch of glazed creosote in a perfect ring. It was rock hard and shiny, like black glass. My standard brushes just scratched the surface. I had to come back with a specialized chain whip system, which added three hours to the job. That kind of buildup is a serious fire risk that can form way faster than you'd think, even with good wood. Has anyone else run into this specific glazed type of buildup recently, and what's your go-to removal method?

A homeowner in Asheville pointed out my ladder placement was blocking their garden gate, and now I always ask about access before I set up.

Rant: My $200 inspection camera died inside a flue in Cincinnati yesterday

The cable got snagged on a broken tile and the whole unit just went dark. Anyone have a brand that can actually handle a tight 90-degree bend?

Am I the only one who got stuck on a weirdly blocked flue for half a day?

I was cleaning a chimney in an old farmhouse near Branson last week and hit a solid blockage about eight feet up. I thought it was just a normal creosote plug, but after an hour of rodding, it wouldn't budge. Turns out a whole bird's nest had been packed in there, mixed with mud from the rain, and it was like concrete. It took me and my partner almost four hours total to chip it all out piece by piece. Has anyone else found a nest that was this hard to clear?

Hot take: I used to think a basic flashlight was fine for inspections.

A firefighter in Portland told me his crew found a major crack with a $80 high-lumen headlamp that he'd missed with his old light. What's your go-to inspection light now?

Saw a DIY chimney cap job in Boise that made me cringe

It was a sheet metal mess held on with what looked like roofing nails, already rusting after one winter. That's a fast track to water damage and a call back for someone. Who else has seen a homeowner fix that went real bad real quick?

Saw a chimney in Denver with a metal cap that was totally wrong for the flue size

I was visiting my sister in Denver last month and her neighbor had a new metal chimney cap installed. It looked nice, but it was way too small for the 8x13 clay tile flue. The installer left a full inch gap on two sides, which basically invites birds and rain right in. I pointed it out to the homeowner and he had no idea, said the guy who put it on 'seemed to know what he was doing'. How do people get away with this kind of sloppy work? What's the worst fit issue you've seen on a job you didn't do?

Cleaning a flue in an old farmhouse outside Boise made me miss the old ways.

Last week I was up on a roof, looking at a modern liner system. It works fine, but it's just plastic and metal. Three years ago, I was in the same county cleaning a flue with a set of old school wire brushes and rods my dad gave me. You could feel the brick through the handle, know exactly what you were hitting. Now everything is about speed and throwaway parts. Anyone else feel like we're losing the craft part of the job?

My worst week in 8 years started with a raccoon nest in a flue in Bellingham.

I had to cancel three jobs and spent 12 hours over two days carefully removing the family and cleaning up the mess, which really made me question the common advice to just cap a chimney and forget about it. Has anyone else found a better way to handle animal-proofing that doesn't just trap them inside?

I thought those flexible chimney cleaning rods were a total gimmick, but my buddy in Boise swore by them.

Heads up on those new flexible camera rods

I bought a set of the 20 foot flexible inspection rods last month for about $180. Figured they would be great for tight flues and seeing around bends. First real job with them, the camera head got stuck on a broken tile liner edge and the whole thing just twisted up inside. Couldn't get it out, had to cut the line and leave it. Cost me half a day and a new camera. Has anyone else had a bad experience with these, or found a brand that actually holds up?