Chimney Sweep Story

Do you remember the first time you saw the movie Mary Poppins? Did you ever wonder about the mysterious lives of the many chimney sweeps in that movie? The magic of the scene on the rooftops of London, with chimney sweeps dancing precariously close to the roof's edge, thrills audiences of many ages. Chimney sweeps are not only of an era gone by; sweeping is an interesting and rewarding profession that entails many projects, and has an intriguing history.

Sweeping was begun mostly in England during the 17th or 18th century, where it was the government's wishes that all flues, or chimneys, be swept often. The chimneys of the period were very large, so small boys, usually sold into slavery from orphanages, called "climbing boys" were sent up the flue to brush away the soot by hand. Often, an older more experienced boy followed behind. If the new boy slowed down or stopped, the boy underneath would poke the younger boy's feet with needles. It was because of this and because many children got stuck and died in chimneys that narrowed at the top, that the Queen of England supposedly offered a reward for a better way of cleaning the chimneys. Thus, the rods and brushes that are still used today came into use. It is also said that once, one of England's kings had an incident with his horse, and a chimney sweep gentled the horse and prevented the king from being thrown to the ground. The king returned the sweep with a gesture that all sweeps would get one day off per year, by law.

So, how did the profession change from the early Victorian days to today? During the 1900's families did prefer to use other, more convenient forms of heating - gas and electricity in particular, but because of the two oil crises in the 1970's, prices of heating fuels soared and many people decided to go back to cutting and burning their own wood. Often this was done in fireplaces that had not been properly cleaned or serviced in a very long time causing many chimney and house fires. As the popularity of fireplaces increased, so did the need for chimney sweeps, a trade still growing today. Some sweeps found the market for this business on their own, and many others discovered it through an article that appeared in a 1977 issue of the Mother Earth News, a popular, alternative lifestyle magazine of that time. The article regenerated interest in the nearly forgotten trade. It described the importance and ways of cleaning flues and how to go about starting a sweeping business.

The traditional outfit of top hat and tails was worn because wealthy undertakers would give their clothes away to the sweeps - a very different outfit from the coverings worn today. In fact, after researching why many of the early sweeps didn't live past their teen years, it was found that creosote, a highly combustible by-product of wood or coal burning, is carcinogenic, which today we know is cancer-causing. Another myth says that in England it was considered bad manners to bathe. So sweeps in England never washed the soot off their bodies. It is said that they took the soot from the day's chimney cleaning's with them and made a pillow out of it. Today's sweep wears coveralls and most use respirator filters so as not to breathe the soot because it IS carcinogenic.

What does the modern sweep do? Although America's chimney service is still in its infancy, the modern sweep takes pride in being able to diagnose, service, and repair chimneys and venting systems that serve a full range of fuels, such as coal, wood, gas, oil, pellets, corn, and more. Some install wood burning appliances and reline damaged chimneys. Some even work with venting systems for natural gas appliances. In 1988, a team of National Chimney Sweep Guild certified sweeps had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of servicing the most famous household fireplaces in the nation. The address - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. Although a highly recognized home, the job was a fairly routine one, yet still quite memorable. The sweeps began their talk by doing a video scan with a special camera of each chimney, determining what each one would require. Some needed as little as a routine sweep, others as much as a major masonry repair. The team of 10 shared this about one chimney, " . .we found that an entire section of tile and chimney was missing, so we were virtually sweeping the backside of the wallpaper in one of the more historic rooms in the mansion."

In some cultures, sweeps have the authority to tell someone not to use his chimney and can even put a person in jail if he does - chimney cops! Often, a sweep will find very interesting objects in a chimney.  For example, some have found anything from real animals to decoys.

How do chimney sweeps learn their trade? In Canada, there are a series of courses and tests that are taken before one can be WETT (Wood Energy Technical Training) certified. In the United States, the trade can be learned through the Sweeps School or there is a testing procedure for certification by the National Chimney Sweep Guild through the Chimney Safety Institute of America. They learn how to clean the  damper, fire shelf, and firebox. They also learn how to diagnose, service, and Repair many problems.

Chimney sweeping has come a long way over a long period of time. As one sweep remarked after working on the White House, "We all regarded it as an honor to be there, to work shoulder to shoulder with respected Colleagues, and there was just a real team spirit and cooperation. That's what's so great about chimney sweeps; there's a sense of fellowship that you don't get in other industries."