c/chimney-sweeps

A customer in Flagstaff showed me a trick with a mirror and a phone flashlight

I was doing a standard inspection on a stone fireplace up there last fall. The homeowner, an older guy who used to be a mason, held up a small hand mirror at the bottom of the firebox while I shined my phone light down the flue. He said, 'You get a better angle on the smoke shelf this way, see?' It let me spot a big chunk of fallen tile I would have missed with just the headlamp. I've used that combo on every tricky, shallow fireplace since. Anyone else have a simple tool hack like that for inspections?

Showerthought: I saw a chimney in a museum exhibit on Victorian London

I was at the Natural History Museum in London last month and they had a whole room set up like an old street. Right there, in a display about child labor, was a tiny chimney flue, maybe 10 inches wide, with a dummy kid stuck halfway up. The info card said sweeps' boys as young as four did that. It was wild to see our trade's history, the bad parts, laid out like that. Makes you appreciate modern gear and regs, you know? Has anyone else stumbled on chimney sweep stuff in a weird place?

Just discovered a trick for cleaning a tight offset flue in a 1920s house

I had a job on Maple Street with a really sharp offset that my standard rods couldn't navigate. I was about to suggest a costly liner install, but I tried using a section of old, flexible dryer vent hose taped to the end of my brush. It bent around the corner perfectly and got the job done in under an hour. Is this a smart fix for a tough spot, or is it a hack that could cause more problems down the line?

Vent: My 20-foot extension ladder slipped on some wet leaves yesterday

I was setting up for a cleanout in Portland and the base just slid out. Anyone have a good trick for securing ladders on damp ground?

Vent: Had to choose between a standard brush and a poly brush for a really narrow flue in an old Albuquerque house.

Went with the poly, and it got the job done without a scratch, but I'm curious if anyone's had a different result with metal in a similar tight spot.

Showerthought: My old brush versus the new poly bristle one for a tight flue

I had a job last month on a 1920s house with a really narrow, lined flue. My old steel brush just wasn't cutting it, so I had to choose between forcing it and risking a jam or buying a new poly brush head for about $85. I went with the new brush, and it slid right in and cleaned way better without scratching the liner. Anyone else made that switch and found it worth the cash?

Can we talk about the 8-hour nightmare of a completely blocked flue in a 1920s house?

That job in the old Craftsman on Maple Street took me a full day because the previous owner had lined the chimney with broken brick and mortar, thinking it was a fix, and I had to chip it all out by hand.

My uncle told me to always check the damper from the roof first, not the fireplace

He said it for years (he ran a sweep service in Boise for 40 years), and last week I found a bird's nest completely blocking the top of a flue that looked clear from below. Saved me a ton of time and a callback. Do you all have a specific order you check things in, or just start from the bottom?

My brother and I finally agreed on a better way to store our brushes at the shop.

Bird nest slowed down my job today, how do you deal with them?

I was cleaning a chimney and found a bird nest stuck in the flue. It took me extra time to remove it safely without harming any birds lol. What's your method for handling nests and keeping them from coming back?

I learned the hard way: avoid spicy food before climbing chimneys lol

Stuck on a weak draft job until my training notes came through

I was on a call where the chimney just would not pull smoke right. My old notes said to check the damper, and sure enough, it was stuck shut, so I freed it up. What's your trick for draft issues?

A customer's kind words turned my okay day around

Finished up a sweep at a place with a tricky access point yesterday. It went smooth but I was feeling a bit tired. The homeowner stopped me on the way out to say how thorough I was. He mentioned his last sweep missed a big nest in the cap. That little chat really picked up my spirits for the rest of the calls.

Noticing more clients question the need for regular sweeps

I keep hearing homeowners say they only sweep when they see soot or have a scare. They argue their chimney is fine with light use. Why do we still insist on yearly visits for everyone? I think we lose trust by not adapting our plans to how much they really use the fire.

Back in the day, we used to judge soot buildup by eye alone.

Now I rely on a camera probe for accuracy.

My grandpa swept chimneys without a mask. I never leave home without mine.