That chimney fire I had to deal with in a 1920s brick house

Got a call last month for a job in a old neighborhood near downtown. The homeowner said they smelled smoke but nothing looked wrong. I opened up the flue and found a good 2 inches of creosote buildup that had caught a small fire going. Grabbed my rotary brush and went at it for about 45 minutes, then ran a camera up to check for cracks. The liner held up but I told them they need to sweep every year not every 3. Has anyone else run into hidden fires like that in older masonry?

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julia_anderson1mo ago

2 inches of creosote" and they only swept every 3 years? I'd say they got lucky the house is still standing.

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robinf511mo ago

In your reply to Julia, I'd point out that 2 inches of creosote actually isn't that crazy for a 3 year gap in sweeps, especially with a wood stove or fireplace that gets regular use. I've seen way worse, like one job where the buildup was pushing 4 inches and the homeowner swore they swept it last year. @julia_anderson, you're right that they got lucky, but old masonry can handle a surprising amount of abuse before it really goes. The real scary part is when the fire starts behind the liner and you can't see it until its too late.

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