Showerthought: the brush marks people rub into their firebrick aren't from sweeping, they're from scrubbing too hard

Amy Hart · 2026-09-11T08:15:07.108365+00:00

Did a job in Aurora last Tuesday where the homeowner kept telling me the last sweep left marks all over her firebox walls, so I took a look and those marks were from someone going at the brick with a wire brush on a drill. I've run the same stiff poly brush for 9 years and never gouged a brick once, but I keep seeing guys treat the firebox like it's a grill grate that needs sanding. Her flue was actually clean, she just had 40 bucks of cosmetic damage done by a guy in a hurry. Any of you run into customers who think the brick should look brand new after every visit?

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Showerthought: the brush marks people rub into their firebrick aren't from sweeping, they're from scrubbing too hard | Chimney Sweeps - Vivisector