Summer's time to make clean sweep of creosote from chimney
Nazi memorabilia is Zachary Purvis' strangest find inside a chimney in all his years cleaning them.
“It looked like originally it had been used to open the damper, but the fireplace hadn't been used in years and years,” said Purvis, owner of Black Knight Chimney of Evans City, adding the homeowners of nearly a year were just as surprised when the swastika-decorated piece of metal was recently discovered in half a bucket of creosote.
The warm months of spring and summer are the best times for a chimney sweep to remove a chimney's creosote buildup, which can become odorous, and dangerous.
Creosote is a dark brown or black flammable tar deposited — especially from wood smoke — on the walls of a chimney, according to the dictionary.
Chimney sweeping is important because it ensures the flammable substance is removed, Purvis said,
Purvis started working in the industry when he was 13 with his father who owned Black Knight Energy. When the company changed, Purvis continued the chimney work and started Black Knight Chimney.
“It's something different every day,” he said
Contrary to the soot- covered faces dancing to “chim chiminey” lyrics from “Mary Poppins,” the 1964 movie musical, chimney sweeping is a clean job.
With the advancement in vacuums, the work is tidy, Purvis said. A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuum captures any dust in the home with the extra protection of drop cloths.
In a traditional method, Purvis uses 6-foot fiberglass rods and brushes that are 8 inches to 10 inches thick to sweep a chimney, he said.
This is an excerpt: Pick up Sunday's Butler Eagle to learn about modern chimney sweeps.
