Haven't been here much lately, been as busy as a one man chimney sweep company with a few hundred people wanting there chimney's swept before Christmas!

Just wanted to say thanks to Tippie for all the hard work he has done helping me out this year.

So far, he has helped me with 4 chimney relines, maybe 5 I've lost track.

I've watched him the first few times during the awkward first times working for me wondering what he should do next, make a few mistakes---none that I haven't made myself or that we couldn't laugh about---and finally hurt him today! Hope that thumb is okay!

Anyway, Tippie has busted his ass for me the past month or so and I couldn't have stayed on schedule with out him. Wish I had ten more like him and I'm really going to be hating it when he moves on to bigger and better things, which of course he deserves, wasting his talent working for me! Plus, no one should have to put up with me too long! [:D]

Here's another pic of Tippie in action as a chimney sweep:

[img]http://www.ar15.com/members/albums/Sweep%2FLew2%2EJPG[/img]

(Tippie guiding in a 12X12 18 foot long stainless steel flue liner)

Thanks Lew, your help and friendship has meant a lot to me.

Major misconception about chimney sweeps there. Today we are actually more of venting specialist than we are chimney sweeps. All the sweeping is done either from the top or bottom with brushes and rods and you don't climb into the chimney to sweep them.

Tippie has just been helping me out with reline jobs that I can't do by myself. I do have a pic of him in a top hat on the roof holding another liner in my profile if you want to go check it out.

We make chimneys clean! [:D]

Seriously, it all depends on the individual sweep's credentials. It also depends on what time of year it is. From the end of August to January I average $65-$70 an hour. Off season its more like $25-$30 an hour.

Someone that's certified working for a company probably makes around $12-$16 an hour.

That thing is a joke. I bought one just to read the instructions in it and it's aparrent that the people who make the thing don't know squat about chimneys or creosote.

Well, what do you expect from a comapny that also markets the Clapper and the Chia Pet?

After I read the literature from the box, I discovered that the log is only designed to remove 3rd degree (glazed) creosote that can not be brushed out. Normally this type of creosote is from the use of a wood stove improperly connected to a masonry fireplace. Problem is that if it does work, all that creosote is going to fall off and directly on top of the stove or into a 90 degree elbow and block the flue. Worse yet, pile up on the smoke shelf or on top of the stove, then catch fire later.

If you have the powdery form of creosote, which most people do, the CSL is a waste of money.

BTW, they probably stole their logo from the same place I did, www.ncsg.org (National Chimney Sweep Guild).

Uh, how's that thumb? [:D]

If he's into Solid Flue, he must being doing rather well. I'm not big enough to justify the expense to get set up in that...yet.

Okay, gonna spray a little piss your way![:D]

A chimney sweep goes out, runs a brush down your flue, gets paid and leaves.

A  Certified Chimney Sweep, (venting specialist) comes out, inspects your chimney visually and with an internal video imaging system if needed, can do a digital pressure analysis on the home to determine the cause of a smoking fireplace, will repairs chimneys including relining them, will find any concerns with your natural gas furnace or hot water heater vents, can clean your dryer vents, will climb in the attic to make check clearances to combustibles, climb under the house to inspect the base assembly, can install special fans or caps to prevent reverse flow, etc. etc. I think ya get the idea. [:D]