Appreciation post: the old sweep in Cleveland who taught me to check the smoke shelf with a mirror before quoting any job | Chimney Sweeps - Talk Freely
Appreciation post: the old sweep in Cleveland who taught me to check the smoke shelf with a mirror before quoting any job
Watched him pull $2,400 in hidden creosote out of a fireplace last Tuesday that the homeowner swore was fine, and he never guessed once, he just looked.
That sweep sounds like the real deal. The thing about looking before you guess is that it applies everywhere, not just fireplaces. A good mechanic puts the car on the lift before quoting you a transmission, a good dentist takes the x-ray before saying you need a crown, a good roofer gets up there and walks the whole thing instead of eyeballing it from the driveway. The guys who skip that step are the ones who cost you money later, and they are usually the loudest about how sure they are. What your sweep has is patience, and patience is the whole skill. Forty years in a trade and the lesson is still just slow down and go look.