I finally see the point in chatting with neighbors during jobs

I always thought keeping quiet on the job was best, just focus on the chimney and go. But last week, I was cleaning an old brick chimney in a tight neighborhood. A lady from next door came over and said she saw smoke pooling low in her yard some evenings. I brushed it off at first, but then I thought... maybe she's onto something. So I checked the flue with a camera, and sure enough, there was a bird nest way down deep. If she hadn't spoken up, I might have missed it and the house could have had a fire. Now I make time to talk to people living nearby when I start a sweep. It's helped me catch a few other problems early, and folks seem to appreciate the chat.

3 comments

3 Comments

david_adams1mo ago

Good point about talking to neighbors. While vera944 might doubt the fire risk, I see another benefit. Those quick chats turn the whole street into free extra eyes on your work. They notice things you can't from the roof, like drafts or weird smells you'd miss. It builds a kind of good will that gets your name passed around. Next time someone needs a sweep, they're already thinking of you because you took a minute to listen.

vera9441mo ago

That fire risk seems a bit overstated.

the_elizabeth1mo ago

Honestly I get what you mean about it feeling overstated sometimes. Tbh though David has a point about just chatting with neighbors being useful anyway.