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A week of blocked flues in old Portland houses taught me a hard lesson
Last month I had three jobs in a row where the main flue was almost shut from built-up creosote, each over an inch thick. The worst was a 1920s home where the owner said they hadn't had a sweep in 'maybe eight years'. My camera showed a passage the size of a golf ball. It took me and my dual-motor brush nearly four hours to clear it safely. That stretch made me push my inspection camera on every estimate call now. What's the longest a blocked chimney has set you back on a single job?
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miasanchez16d ago
Honestly sounds a bit over the top to me. An inch of buildup and a golf ball sized hole after eight years? I've seen way worse go way longer with no real problem. Pushing a camera on every single call seems like a good way to scare off customers who just want a simple quote.
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samrodriguez16d ago
Yeah, the "golf ball sized hole" thing got me looking into it. I read a case study from a home inspector's blog about a slow leak from a similar spot. It wasn't a big deal for years, then it just let go and ruined a finished basement ceiling. The point was you can't tell what's behind the buildup without looking. A simple quote might miss the real problem.
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