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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1998)
le Battalion Aggielife Page 3 • Wednesday, October 7, 1998 ite >ol lexasffli mitytod merwfe duateRea oflibeic.: oundatit;. le the IC-i 'arch piJ •gesof?:; im otheil by depaic their acae te studies nethodi: ogy face it the we udentsit ’tit fields^ ts of sod ?d thestta led studej inying pa 1 sumius iuate Rea its. Tfiisj is, howl aduated lociofogr, partidpaj vhat grai " Postoili i showed at A&M nifty, caat rail of tin 'liege oft Prograni, rark wii ulty met 1 lies lastid > for grai p where! am from! imer rest Heat, short winters don't keep chimney sweeps from work STORY BY MARIUM MOHIUDDIN GRAPHICS BY BRAD GRABBER chimney sweeping -/was glam v;.ed by Dick n Dyke and his ot-dad danc ’.coworkers in e Disney movie iiy Poppins. Since then, e life of a imney sweep ings to mind ' ople dancing on rooftops, iging with Mary Poppins and ving the time of their lives. If only all jobs could be this uch fun. Real chimney sweeps face a mul- ide of adventures upon a rooftop. From dealing with animals, e hot sun and near falls off of nftops, there is obstacle that nstand in the chimney sweeps iy. The National Chimney Sweep- ;Guild reported 384 registered imney sweeps in the state of us. Three of the guild’s Texas reps are located in Bryan. Judy Bruce, co-owner of Chim Chimney Sweep, said the profession may seem out of place in Texas, but they have a lot of business. We work all-year long but it is more of a yearly busi ness,” she said. “The busiest time for us is from September to February because this is when it gets the coldest and this is when everyone wants to use their chimneys.” “We may not clean as much as those up north,” Bruce said. “But, we keep our business going by do ing other things associated with chimneys like inspections.” The heat in Texas and the luxu ry of heated homes may limit the use of a fireplace. However, those few cold days in Texas make a fireplace enjoyable. Bob French, chief meteorologist for KBTX-TV, said with the onset of the winter season, Ire had his chim ney swept in preparation. “We usually build a fire about 20 to 30 times during the winter when the weather gets cold and nippy,” he said. “We don’t use it to often, but 1 knew we had to get it done be cause we have not had it cleaned for a few years.” A chimney sweep’s work can amount to a mess. Bruce said it requires an exten sive set-up so furniture will not get damaged. “To prepare for the job, a chim ney sweeper has to make sure the house does not get messy,” she said. “Everything has to be covered. After the set up inside is clean, then a sweeper will sweep down the chim ney with special brushes from the rooftop. Then he cleans up inside the chimney with a special vacuum. They have to make sure there is no debris inside the chimney. If a fireplace is not used often, it is recommended the chimney be cleaned every 3 to 4 years. If a fireplace is used more often, it is better to have this done every 2 to 3 years. Bruce said over the years they have found many interesting things in chimneys. “The most unusual thing we have found in a chimney was a snake,” she said. “Some people say it goes up there to go after the birds, but then others say that it goes up into a Chimney so it can hibernate for the winter. The chimney pro vides a nice dark place to sleep.” “But we have also found rac coons, ducks, cats, baseballs, bas ket balls and towels,” Bruce said. “When workers come to work on roofs, they leave a lot of debris in chimneys. Basically, if you can name it, then we probably have found it.” The fireplace sits in the home and does not get much attention until the cold weather rolls in. French said he had not cleaned MB?->3 his fireplace in six years, but un derstood the dangers involved. “The soot can collect up in the fireplace, and when that catches on fire, it can be a long, slow fire, like charcoal,” he said. Ashley Elderidge, technical di rector of the National Chimney Sweeps Guild, said a Texas sweeps’ work is limited because of the state’s short-burning season. How ever, she said, there are enough families in Texas who enjoy getting their chimneys cleaned by a sweep. “It is important for the chimneys to be swept clean,” he said. “The tops of chimneys can be unsteady and they may collapse. It is also im portant to watch the levels of car bon monoxide.” Bruce said some people do not understand the harmful effects soot has on respiratory systems. “Anybody who has a chimney needs to have it cleaned because it can be dangerous to leave it,” Bruce said. “When you burn wood, the sap that is burned gets stuck onto the inside of the chim ney in the form of creosote. This is very dangerous because cre osote is flammable.” Bruce said there are dangers involved with the profession. “If you loose your footing, then that is it — you are going to fall,” she said. “Some people even have tin or metal roofs, so it can get hot. But, it can be a beautiful sight.” Elderidge said chimney sweeps have a big advantage over other professions. “The roses we can stop and smell are better than those of others,” he said. “Being on the top of a roof and being so high is like being a bird. You feel this intense freedom because you are overlooking everything.” rk lasting F irate Pal res. ve two relation tatewiil ther fon ?r and F ;, Peres slo Peao fthete ned bet‘ i nian Li! 993 and 'eres said uiingM Andh ” op!® 1 n spited invest^ iliflj ditorin® Editor 5 Editor or itor Editor ditor jeer ducer r Editor idbysttf*; ications. 013» 845-2^' ising. 1 OF ^©02 Election Run-Offs Tues. Oct* 6 Wed. 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