Wood soot, a common byproduct of incomplete combustion, is a complex mixture of several constituents. Composed of organic and inorganic compounds, including carbon, ash, and various trace elements, it may seem harmless at first glance. However, these tiny particles can pose significant health risks if handled or cleaned without the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). […]
Introduction: Welcome, dear readers, to an exploration of the unique and often overlooked profession of chimney sweeping. This blog will take you through an exciting journey, drawing parallels between the artistry of renowned artists like Banksy and Van Gogh, and the delicate art of chimney sweeping. We’ll also touch upon the importance of health […]
Historically there were two routes into chimney sweeping. 1, apprentices such as the chimney climbing boys or 2, from father to son passed down knowledge through the generations. This still happens to a degree today and many enter the profession because they fell into the job via family association. Things have changed a great deal […]
Soot part 3. disposal, carriage and bagging up. In the previous two parts of this series we spoke about the dangers of soot, PPE, cleaning and many other things. In today’s article we will speak briefly about, storage, removal, carriage and disposal of the black stuff. Professional chimney sweeps are generally a conscientious bunch and […]
Technical Update: Soot (Part 2) Welcome to part two of our three part article on soot. In this blog we talk about different types of soot, fuel types and cleaning methods. Chimney sweeps generally classify soot by the fuel type that it was formed by when it was combusted. There are a few general rules; […]
Technical update number 4. Soot (part one) What is soot? We all know it’s a black powder but few know what constituents make up the compound that we clean daily from the chimneys that we work on. Soot is a by-product of the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. It is black because it contains carbon particles […]