I finally figured out my brushes were the problem, not my sweeping technique

Fiona Carter · 2026-09-25T11:00:05.582678+00:00

Honestly I spent 3 years thinking I was just bad at getting creosote off flue tiles because my rods kept slipping and I was scrubbing for way longer than other guys I know. Then 4 months ago I was doing a job in a house near Boise and the homeowner asked why I was using such stiff bristles on a stainless liner, and I kind of brushed it off at first. Later that week I looked at my brush bag and realized I had been grabbing the same poly brush for basically every job, whether it was a clay tile flue or a steel liner, because it was the one that fit my rod thread and I never thought about it again. I ordered a proper set of softer nylon brushes for metal liners and stiffer ones for masonry, and the difference was night and day on the very next job, way less elbow grease and way less worry about scratching anything up. The thing that tipped me off was how fast the poly bristles were wearing down, I was replacing them every couple months and just assumed that was normal. If you're burning through brushes or fighting your rods on every job, check what you're actually running before you blame your arms. What brush setups are you all using for stainless liners vs clay tile?

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I finally figured out my brushes were the problem, not my sweeping technique | Chimney Sweeps - Guest Forum