Can we talk about how creosote logs fooled me for 3 whole seasons?

Val Wilson · 2026-09-16T02:30:03.730711+00:00

For the first three years on my own routes around Akron, I pushed those $18 creosote sweeping logs on every customer with a wood stove, and I felt good about it, like I was doing them a favor. Then a retired sweep named Dale let me tag along on two of his jobs, and he used nothing but a proper poly brush on a rod, worked the flue slow, and showed me the junk he pulled down after the homeowner had burned four of those logs that winter. The log had softened maybe the top inch of glaze, and the rest sat there hard as glass, waiting. With the brush and rod I got the whole thing off in about 20 minutes, and I could actually hear the difference when I ran the brush up, that gritty scrape turned smooth. I still get folks who swear by the logs because the box says they work, and I have to bite my tongue and just show them the before and after on my phone. Any of you still sell the logs as a add on, or did you drop them once you saw what a real brushing does?

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Can we talk about how creosote logs fooled me for 3 whole seasons? | Chimney Sweeps - The Community Guide