The rental house with 14 years of creosote buildup I had to chip out by hand

Pulled a job last week on a rental in Austin where the tenants said the fireplace smoked every time they used it. Owner hadn't swept it since 2011, and I pulled out a solid 3 inch layer of glazed creosote that was baked on like concrete. Took me 6 hours with a rotary loop and then a scraper for the last section near the damper. The difference in the draft was night and day, and the smoke test went from a mess to a clean line. Has anyone else dealt with landlords who ignore maintenance until the chimney is basically a fire hazard waiting to happen?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles_robinson2026d ago

Man, that's brutal. But the real issue is that Austin should have rental inspection laws that catch this before it becomes a six hour job.

betty_perry2426d ago

Wait, are you saying landlords are actually against these inspections? Cause if they're the ones fixing the plumbing, you'd think they'd want to catch a leak before it ruins their own drywall. Or is it more about them not wanting to pay for upgrades unless the city forces them?