Almost lost a job last month over a hidden bird nest

I was sweeping a flue in an old house outside Austin last month, the kind with a massive stone fireplace. Got to the second section and my rods just stopped dead, wouldn't budge an inch. Tried to push through with a little force like I sometimes do, but something told me to check first with my camera. Good thing I did, because there was a whole dried-up bird nest wedged in a crack, plus about six inches of debris behind it. Customer said they hadn't used the fireplace in 3 years, so that nest was probably sitting there rotting the whole time. If I'd shoved harder I could have cracked the flue liner or sent debris falling into their living room. Has anyone else run into surprise blockages that look solid but are actually just old nests or crud?

3 comments

3 Comments

carr.abby17d ago

Guess that's just life's way of reminding you not to force things that aren't ready to give.

scott.olivia13d ago

Betting that nest was built during a quiet moment when nature decided to ignore its own building codes. Glad you caught it before it turned your fireplace into a full on apartment complex.

fisher.thomas17d ago

Carr.abby's got a point, though I'd argue the universe usually just wants me to buy a new chimney brush. Glad your gut told you to check, because forcing a nest like that is a great way to turn a quiet Tuesday into a very expensive insurance call. Mystery blockages are always either a bird nest or a dead raccoon, and somehow the nest is the better option.