Why does nobody talk about how spruce pitch makes a mess in the flue?

I was up on a job last week in a house that burns mostly pine and spruce. When I went to sweep, that pitch was like thick syrup all the way up. Took me twice as long as a normal oak or maple burn house. My brushes were a disaster. Does anyone else deal with this more in certain areas or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_hernandez12d ago

The real issue nobody brings up is how that pitch gets on the chimney crown and cap too. It bakes on there from the heat and turns into this hard, crusty layer that blocks the screen and traps creosote way faster. Ive seen caps completely clogged after just one season of pine burning. And good luck scraping that stuff off without scratching the stainless steel or damaging the mesh. Most people dont even think to clean up there until its a problem. That build up can actually choke the draft and make the fire smoke back into the room.

cooper.mark12d ago

Man that is such a pain and I feel for you. Pine and spruce are the worst for that sticky goo, it gets everywhere and just clings to everything. I had a customer last winter who only burned white pine and by the time I was done my brush looked like it had been dipped in honey and rolled in sawdust. Had to soak the thing in solvent for a day just to get it clean enough to use again. You're not alone in this.