The Zeiger Family Homestead Blog

Because Friday appeared to be the last day of a run of sunny weather, we swept the chimney before the winter wood heating season. Besides, it was a blue moon—we couldn’t resist being able to say we sweep the chimney once in a blue moon.

A “blue moon” rises over the homestead, 2012 (Photo: Mark Zeiger).

The process, though somewhat difficult, ticked along smoothly. Like last year, we rigged a plastic yogurt tub full of lead weights below our chimney brush, and dropped it down the stack. I swept the part of the chimney above our T-joint, then waited for Michelle to remove the insert she’d used to catch the soot, so I could drop the brush below the T-joint and finish the job. I glanced at my watch, and saw with satisfaction that the job itself, not including set up, would take less than 20 minutes.

Michielle called up the flue that she was ready. I dropped the weighted brush past the T and swept the lower chimney. When satisfied, I pulled my tools upward. I felt a snag, pulled harder, and suddenly lost the feeling of weight. Almost immediately, the chimney bristles appeared at the chimney top, minus the tub of weights.

Uh oh . . . . Continue reading →