Question about a stubborn clay flue liner in a 1920s house in Boise

Last week I spent three hours trying to clean one and my brushes just weren't cutting through the creosote. What's the best tool or method you've found for these old liners?

2 comments

2 Comments

perez.christopher1mo ago

Oh, that's a tough job. I should mention, it's actually not creosote in a clay liner, that's for wood stoves. In an old chimney like that, you're dealing with soot and glazed carbon. For that hard glaze, a wire brush often just polishes it. You need a chain whip or a poly brush with metal scrapers built in to really break it up. A good chemical treatment overnight before you scrub can help a lot too.

eric_price1mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, the "chemical treatment overnight" part is key. Most people rush it and that's why they fail. But even with that, if the glaze is bad enough, you're looking at a professional rotary cleaning system. Those DIY chains can just get stuck and make a huge mess if you don't know what you're doing. Honestly, sometimes the cost of the right tools and chemicals gets close to just hiring it out for a one time job.