I cleaned the chimney this afternoon which isn't a big job at all, actually less than 15 minutes. I usually pay the neighbor boy that helps me or have my son do it but decided to do it myself this time. I've never been real comfortable with heights but I have to say its getting worse and I was a little shakey getting on the roof from the ladder and back on the ladder from the roof. At almost 70 y/o and 25#'s over weight I may let someone else do it next time.
I just broke down and got a sooteater. I was skeptical about making the bend into the Lopi bypass....but it works well. I don't think it does as good a job as the metal brush....but as OCD as I am about a clean stack....it will save better than half the trips onto the roof.
The transition to/from ladder can be the most awkward moment, depending on the roof. I remember hanging half off a roof working on gutters many, many moons ago. I have no real fear of heights, but have had some vertigo on occasion. Just remember, falling isn't so bad, it's the sudden stop that sucks. If you're uncomfortable doing it, may be best to let the young pups make a quick buck or two.
Glad you got one last sweep in - always better to decide you shouldn't do something BEFORE you find out the hard way!
I use an extension ladder, so it extends 3' above the roof line. I built a bracket that is hung on the facia that the ladder fits into so it can not move laterally. I use a quick clamp to hold the ladder to the bracket so it can't slip. The 3' makes the move to/off the roof much safer.
It's like calling last run on the ski hill after you've gotten to the bottom. There's a science to this. If you're thinking you've only got one left in you, it's because you're already whooped. bang, If you're thinking you may have reached your limit, you're probably not wrong. I have known a couple guys that took falls, one of them met his end. Don't push it. Come up with a solution that you're comfortable with.
I vote for bottom up cleaning as well. Sooteater and telescoping connector pipe on the stove. Done. Worth looking into. I clean more often now
Same here. I decided this year will be the last. Spent my youth running around on roofs building chimneys/fireplaces. Another twenty years doing masonry on commercial buildings. No fear of heights actually love them. just gotta know your limitations. Partial paralysis in the left leg for 20 years. Ankle works like a disconnected U joint. Never know which way it may flop. A 10/12 pitch is no longer fun to scramble up. I’ll either clean from the bottom or pay someone. Tried bottom up this year but the brush and rod just didn’t want to make the bend. Have done it once before.
We can clean ours from the bottom and the best part is that my wife usually does the job! It only takes a couple minutes and she usually doesn't get much of anything from the chimney, but it never hurts to clean it. We could go several years without cleaning if need be but one thing about cleaning is that in summer it tends to draw fewer yellow jackets if the chimney is clean. It must be the smell of the junk that draws them.
I would like to try it sometime but don't know of any around here. I tried black locust just one time when a fellow hoarder gave me some to try out. But we have no locust here. I do know where there is some a ways away from us but do all our cutting on our own place.
A little over a decade ago I installed a 4” liner in our chimney for a pellet stove by myself with no issues and had been cleaning the flu from the top every year. When it came time to pull that liner I tried going up a ladder and didn’t even make it to the roofline before getting vertigo. I’ll be cleaning from the bottom from now on. Must be an age thing.What can you do but laugh about it and carry on? Necessity is the mother of invention and I’ve had to figure out a new way to do a lot of things. No shame in that bang
