Shoutout to the old guy in Boise who showed me the plastic bag trick

I was cleaning a chimney in a house with a really shallow hearth, maybe only 8 inches deep. The drop cloth was useless because the soot just bounced off the bricks and went everywhere. The homeowner was getting nervous about her rug. This retired sweep who lived next door came over, grabbed a big plastic grocery bag, and taped it right over the fireplace opening with painter's tape. He cut a small hole for my brush rod. It caught every bit of falling debris, and when I was done, I just rolled it up and tossed it. I've used it on three jobs since and it's saved me at least 30 minutes of cleanup each time. What other simple stuff like this have you picked up from other sweeps over the years?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.brooke8d ago

That plastic bag trick is a lifesaver for shallow hearths. I learned a similar thing with a cheap shower curtain liner and a bit of cardboard to stiffen the top edge. You can tape it up even faster and it's reusable a few times if you're careful. Old timers have the best tricks for problems you didn't even know you had.

gavinhunt7d ago

My first masonry job twenty years ago, we'd never use plastic. Thought it looked cheap. Then I saw a guy use a heavy duty trash bag for a tricky corner. Total game changer. The way it conforms and keeps the mortar off the brick is perfect. I still use proper tarps for big areas, but for a shallow hearth or tight spot, a bag is genius. Those old school fixes really are the best.