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TIL the hard way that soot buildup can hide a cracked flue liner
I was doing a routine sweep at a house in the suburbs last Tuesday and everything seemed normal until I got near the top. My rods felt like they were catching on something but I figured it was just heavy creosote. After I scraped through, I heard the camera fall a little lower than expected. Turns out there was a crack behind all that soot that had been there for who knows how long. Anyone else ever missed damage because of heavy buildup hiding things?
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harris.aaron1d ago
Is a headlamp really enough though when you're dealing with soot this thick and old? I've started bringing a shop vac with a brush attachment just to clear the way before I even get near the flue.
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Pulled a chimney cap off last month and found a bird's nest the size of a football wedged in there. It had been blocking the draft for months (the homeowner thought their fireplace just sucked at drawing). But the real kicker was when I cleaned out the nest and found a dead squirrel underneath it, completely mummified. No clue how that thing got in there or how long it had been there, but it was definitely hiding some serious damage to the mortar. Made me wish I'd brought a headlamp from the start instead of relying on the shop light.
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