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Realized my brush technique was wrong after a job in Burlington

Was cleaning a flue on a 1920s house, standard stuff. Kept hearing a weird scraping sound, not the usual swish. The homeowner's kid asked if I was 'scratching the chimney's back'. That phrase stuck with me. Next job, I watched an old timer work and saw he used a much slower, rolling wrist motion. My fast, stiff strokes were just wearing down the liner. Anyone else have a moment like that, where a simple comment made you rethink your whole method?
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3 Comments
paulnguyen
Yeah, that's how you learn the good stuff.
6
carr.cora
carr.cora1d ago
Remember my buddy who tried to fix his own sink? Watched a ton of videos, got totally lost, and had to call a plumber anyway. But now he actually gets what the plumber is doing and can talk about it.
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ray_burns
ray_burns1d ago
Kid's got a future as a foreman. Sometimes you need someone with no clue to point out the obvious thing you're missing. That scraping sound was the chimney telling you to slow your roll, literally. It's funny how a tiny change in your grip can make a huge difference in the work. Bet you won't forget that lesson anytime soon.
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