The homeowner who insisted I sweep his 1920s coal chimney with the flue wide open

Had a job last spring over in Medford, a big old Victorian with a coal converted fireplace. The guy stands there and tells me to sweep it with the damper FULLY open, says I'm just being lazy if I close it. I tried to explain that's how you dump a year's worth of soot right into the living room, but he wouldn't budge. Sure enough, after two pulls, black stuff is puffing out every crack in the firebox and he's coughing. He finally let me close it halfway and the rest was clean. Has anyone else run into homeowners who think they know the job better than the person holding the brush?

2 comments

2 Comments

taraanderson14d ago

Oh man, I used to think I knew better too but this totally changed my mind.

robert_lopez6412d ago

Oh man, I totally get that. I remember being stubborn about it for years, thinking there was no way I'd ever see it differently. Then my buddy showed me this one video that broke it all down, and I felt like an idiot for not getting it sooner. It's humbling when something flips your whole way of thinking like that. Glad I'm not the only one who went through that.