A job in the old part of town made me rethink my whole approach to creosote

I was working on a chimney in a house built around 1900 over in the historic district. The owner said it hadn't been cleaned in maybe 15 years. When I got my camera up there, I found a massive, rock-hard creosote deposit, about two inches thick, that my standard rods and brushes just bounced off of. I ended up having to use a chemical treatment and come back a week later, which the customer wasn't thrilled about. Some sweeps I've talked to since say you should always go straight to the heavy-duty tools on old chimneys, while others think that's overkill and damages the flue. What's your method for those really tough, old deposits? Do you start aggressive or try the standard clean first?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.laura1mo ago

Honestly, the brick itself in those old flues can be so soft... I worry more about the damage from scraping than the creosote.

margaret_kelly5521d ago

Hasn't cleaned it in 15 years? Honestly I bet when they finally do run a stove it smells like a campfire for a week. Tbh I always just hit those glazed deposits with the chemical stuff first if there's any doubt, saves me the headache of a pissed off customer.

finleyf881mo ago

My uncle's place had that same glazed stuff. We ended up just relining the whole thing.