Had a real mess with a new creosote remover last week
Tried this new chemical spray on a standard brick flue over in the West End. The label said it would turn the glazed creosote to powder in 24 hours. Well, 48 hours later, I went back up and it had turned into this sticky, tar-like goop that was ten times worse to scrape. My standard wire brush just gummed up completely. I ended up having to use a carbide scraper by hand for three hours to get it all off the clay liner. The customer wasn't happy about the extra time, and I ate the cost. Has anyone else had a chemical treatment backfire like that? What do you use for heavy glazed buildup instead?
Oh man, nobody's talking about how these products can actually ruin your floor's finish over time... That sticky residue isn't just annoying, it's probably stripping away the protective layer bit by bit. My cousin used a popular brand on her hardwood and within a year the whole thing looked cloudy and scratched up, had to pay a ton to get it refinished.