Hit 500 sweeps in 8 months and honestly it felt weird

I passed 500 chimney sweeps last Thursday... been doing this full time for about 8 months now and I never expected to hit that number so fast. I thought maybe 300 would be a big deal, but the work just kept coming once word got around. Most of it is just basic cleaning and basic inspections, but that 500th job was a big old creosote buildup in a house built in the 1920s near downtown. It got me thinking about how much this trade can surprise you with volume... has anyone else hit a milestone that felt way bigger than you planned for?

3 comments

3 Comments

flores.mark3d ago

500 sweeps in 8 months with a house from the 1920s near downtown? Man, those old places always have the worst buildup, that sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen.

finley_smith3d ago

Hang onto those old houses long enough and you realize they're like a slow motion game of whack a mole with plumbing and wiring. Fix one thing and three other problems pop up somewhere else. I swear these places have some kind of secret pact with the universe to never let you have a peaceful weekend.

the_drew3d ago

Secret pact with the universe" is exactly right lol. @flores.mark mentioned that 1920s house with 500 sweeps in 8 months, and I bet that place has some ancient wiring that'll make every fix ten times harder. I've got a 1940s bungalow and last time I tried to swap out a light fixture I found knob and tube hiding behind the drywall. Three outlets stopped working the next day and I still haven't figured out which breaker they're on.