2
Just had a close call with a blocked flue in a 1920s house in Springfield
The damper was frozen shut with creosote and the homeowner had a fire going, smoke started backing up fast. Had to shut it down and chip it out with a scraper for an hour before it was safe, anyone else run into a damper that bad?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
amygonzalez2mo ago
Man that sounds scary. My uncle's old cabin had a flue so clogged with old nests it was basically a chimney for squirrels. We found like three layers of different animal homes in there, all packed tight with leaves and mud. Took a whole afternoon with a brush on a pole just to make a path for smoke. Those old places really hold onto their secrets, don't they.
6
foster.wade1mo ago
Ever try using a leaf blower from the roof down? Sounds weird but it worked on my cousin's place when we found a similar mess. Craig.parker is right, you don't believe how bad it gets until you see it. We had to follow up with the brush anyway, but the blower got the loose stuff out first. Those old nests turn into solid bricks after a few seasons.
3