That one homeowner's comment about my brush technique totally changed how I work

I was sweeping a chimney in Springfield last Tuesday and the homeowner watched me for a minute before saying, 'You're going too fast, you're just pushing the soot around.' I was kinda annoyed at first but he was right. Turns out I was missing spots because I was rushing through the flue. Now I do two slow passes instead of one quick one and I find way more buildup.

3 comments

3 Comments

shanec617d ago

Maybe it's just me but sometimes going fast is how you catch stuff you'd miss going slow. For certain flues, a quick pass knocks loose buildup that a slow brush just pushes around.

ivan_harris7d ago

Yeah I feel you on that. For creosote buildup, sometimes a fast pass with a steel brush can really crack that stuff loose, especially if it's been sitting dry. Going slow just kind of polishes the hard stuff into a smooth layer that stays put. I've had flues where a quick aggressive scrub got chunks falling down that a careful slow approach would've just painted over. Just make sure you're not tearing up the liner, some of those older tiles can get scratched up if you go too hard.

noahgreen7d ago

Wait, you're saying a fast pass can actually crack it loose better than a slow careful scrub? That's wild, I always thought slow and steady was the only way to really get in there!