Got told my chimney brush was too aggressive and it made me rethink everything

Honestly, I've been using a steel wire brush for years on all my jobs here in Portland. Last month a customer watched me scrub their flue and said 'you're gonna scratch the liner, that brush is way too harsh.' I laughed it off at first, but then I started noticing tiny grooves on some older clay liners I'd worked on. Switched to a poly brush for regular cleanings, and after 6 weeks I can see less dust build and way less scratching when I pull the brush back down. Has anyone else had a homeowner call you out on something that actually turned out to be a solid tip?

2 comments

2 Comments

carr.daniel2d ago

You ever try a rubber grommet on the end of your poly brush to stop that bouncing?

the_kai2d ago

Ask @carr.daniel if he meant putting the grommet on the handle end or the brush end? I tried a rubber band wrapped around the ferrule once and it just made the thing wobble worse. The bounce is real with poly brushes on longhair coats but I think the fix depends on which part of the brush is doing the bouncing. Did you try it on a curved or flat poly brush?