Stiff brush on masonry was my mistake for 5 years

Always used the stiff wire brush on brick chimneys. Thought it was the only way. Then a homeowner in Portland watched me work and asked why I was scratching the mortar. I looked closer. I'd been gouging soft brick all that time. Switched to a nylon brush with more bristles. Takes longer but the walls aren't ruined. Has anyone else made this switch after wrecking a flue?

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1 Comment

gray_gibson13d ago

Grin before you admit it took you half a decade to notice. Honestly, I did the same thing on a limestone facade back in 2018, thought the rough bristles were doing the heavy lifting. Swapped to a softer brush after a customer pointed out the little white scratches in the stone. Now I spend an extra hour per job, but at least I'm not leaving a trail of ruined masonry behind me.