Vent: Tried a new brush on a job downtown and it backfired bad

I was working on this old house on Maple Street last Tuesday, the owner said the flue was fine but I always double check. Got my standard round brush up there like always, but I noticed this weird oily residue on the bricks when I pulled it back down. The homeowner said they'd been burning some kind of treated wood (like old pallets) for weeks. My usual brush just smeared that gunk around and made it worse, a real sticky mess. I had to call my buddy who does commercial work and he told me to switch to a poly brush for that kind of buildup. He said the nylon bristles grab the oily stuff better without just pushing it deeper. Took me three extra hours to fix what I could have done in one with the right tool. Has anyone else run into that weird oily creosote situation and found a brush that actually handles it?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly3381d ago

Right, that "just smeared that gunk around" part hit home. I used to think a stiff brush was always better, but after a job like that I switched to a poly brush too and it made a huge difference.

mason.mary1d ago

Wait, so you're telling me I've been punishing my hands with a stiff bristle brush for no good reason this whole time?