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c/chimney-sweepsward.dianaward.diana6d agoTop Commenter

Got told my brush work was 'sloppy' back in 2019 and it still sticks with me

I was cleaning a flue in a 1920s house in Portland and the homeowner watched me the whole time. He was a retired mason and told me I was tearing up the terracotta liner with my wire brush. At first I was defensive, but he showed me where I was digging into the joints instead of just scrubbing the soot. I switched to a poly brush for most of the interior work after that, and reserve the wire for heavy creosote only. Now I check every flue for glazed liners before I even pick up a tool. Has anyone else had a customer who actually knew more about the job than you did?
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3 Comments
jessica331
Yeah, that stings!
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ross.kim
ross.kim6d ago
My friend Sarah had the same thing happen last week at the grocery store. She bent down to grab a bag of oranges off the bottom shelf, and when she stood up, her back just locked right up. She had to lean on the cart for five whole minutes before she could straighten out. She said she felt like a rusty robot in the produce aisle.
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black.oliver
Yeah @ross.kim that hits different when they're right!
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