Used to vacuum every flue like it was a dust storm - now I barely touch the thing

For years I pulled out the shop vac on every single chimney job, even light creosote builds. Thought I was being thorough. Then I did a job for a older sweep in Portland last summer who told me I was wasting time and stirring up more dust than necessary. He showed me how he just uses a quick hand brush and a drop cloth, then seals off the fireplace with tape and plastic. Tried it on a few smaller jobs after that and realized I cut my time by about 20 minutes per house. Now I only break out the vac for heavy glaze or debris piles. Still feels wrong sometimes, but the numbers don't lie. Anyone else drop the vac for most routine sweeps or am I being lazy?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_uma1d ago

Right? That Portland guy totally cracked the code. Once you get the technique down with the hand brush and drop cloth, the dust actually stays put way better than a vac blasting everything around. It's like cleaning smarter instead of harder.

ericp671d agoRising Star

Bet you're still finding dust in those corners a week later.