Vent: A homeowner told me my brush was scratching their flue liner

I had a job last Tuesday in a older house near downtown, and the customer said they saw fine scratches in the terracotta liner after I finished. Turns out I was using a wire brush that was way too aggressive for that soft clay material. Has anyone else switched to poly brushes for older liners, or is there a better trick to avoid this?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_perry20d ago

Green.jessica mentioned "light rubdown with a drywall sanding screen" which is interesting but I'd argue the real trick is to check the liner's hardness with a cheap masonry bit first. If it spins smooth without dust piling up, that clay is way too soft for anything with metal bristles. Means you gotta go straight to a poly brush or even a stiff nylon scrub pad no matter what the customer thinks.

green.jessica20d ago

Funny you mention it, I had a similar scare a few years back. Ended up finding out that some older liners actually benefit from a light rubdown with a drywall sanding screen after brushing to knock down any micro-scratches. Might be worth a try before the next job.