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Switched from a wire brush to a polypropylene brush for clay flue tiles
After 3 jobs using the wire brush left those tiny scratches that caught soot way worse, the poly one cleaned smoother and my customer at the old Victorian on Maple Street even commented the chimney looked cleaner than when it was built, has anyone else made that swap and noticed the difference?
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coleman.hannah3mo ago
Wire brushes are actually fine for heavy scale buildup but you gotta be real careful with the pressure. The scratches you're talking about are from running the wire brush too hard or using the wrong gauge wire for clay flue tiles. Polypropylene is definitely gentler but it won't cut through real creosote glaze like a wire brush will. I had a job where the poly just smeared the sticky stuff around and I had to go back with a wire brush to actually get it off. The key is matching the brush material to what you're actually cleaning, not just swapping everything over. Clay flue tiles are pretty durable as long as you keep the brush moving and don't park it in one spot.
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the_mary3mo ago
Is it just me or is this the same problem with everything nowadays? Like everyone wants one perfect solution for every situation but real life is way messier than that. I've noticed it with cleaning products too, people grab the gentlest stuff because they heard harsh is bad, but sometimes a little elbow grease with the right tool is what actually gets the job done. The trick is just knowing when to swap between them instead of picking one and sticking with it no matter what.
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garcia.cameron3mo ago
It's the same thing with cookware honestly. Everyone is obsessed with nonstick but if you try to sear a steak in it you'll ruin the pan. You gotta know when to grab cast iron and when to grab something else. @coleman.hannah you're absolutely right about matching the tool to the job instead of just following the latest trend. I see people online acting like wire brushes are the devil but they've been working fine for decades if you've got half a brain. The scratches come from being careless not from the brush itself. This whole "one perfect solution" mindset is just lazy thinking.
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