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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-11-30, Page 22PAGE 2A--CODERICHSIGNALeSTAR, T:. .AY, NOVEMBER 3Op 1978 Bob Steph ® from page IA chimney sweeps may have been brought about because of the trend toward wood -burning stoves. Delegates at tie London conference ex- pressed some concern about today's prefab fire boxes or heatilators. A part of the heatilator called the damper, cannot be removed . on some models, says Stephenson. • Soot collects behind them and causes a potential fire hazard. Stephenson says he has now begun constructing his own tools, such as a bent shovel, in order to clean behind dampers that can't be removed. Even if the heatilator or wood burning' ap- pliance is constructed safely, improper in- stallation, •operation and maintenance can cause problems. Stephenson feels that people are definitely una*are of the dangers involved if their chimneys are not cleaned out properly once a year. "Everybody sits back in front of the nice, warm fireplace and forgets what is happening inside e that -fireplace," he says. CHIMNEY FIRES I Stephenson explains what does happen inside the chimney. Creosote, a tarry residue caused by the incomplete com- bustion of wood, hardens due to the temperature changes inside the chimney. If the chimney is not cleaned, the creosote .build's up and after becoming thickly coated, can ignite, spurting burning material on rooftops and' possibly setting the whole house on fire. Stephenson detected a fire hazard in one chimney`he went to clean this year and reported it. to the fire department. The chimney was later condemned by the department and the customer was grateful that the danger had been discovered before anything serious oc- curred. Many people have a tendency to burn garbage in their fireplaces and some burn wet wood. Both of these things create much more residue than dry wood. Stephenson says he wouldn't mind giving helpful information over the phone (524-8055) to people about the best substances to burn, the construction of their chimneys, etc. He does not claim to be a mason but he says chimneys and fireplaces should be constructed with cleaning in mind and many of today's prefab fireplaces cannot be taken apart for that purpose. Stephenson has con- tacted the Fire Marshal's office and has discovered that if po damage is done, other than to the chim- ney, chimney fires are not recorded. And so this type of fire is . probably much more prevalent than people realize. Toronto reported 250 last year. Stephenson says he can only sweep chimneys and help to unplug them. If they are too far gone, he cart't get the residue off and there is nothing much he can do except to warn the owners that they have a potential hazard. On the other hand, he won't clean a chimney that doesn't need cleaning just for the sake of earning some money. Stephenson charges $Z5 to clean a furnace chimney . or a wood burning stove chimney and $35 for a fireplace chimney. He thinks he might have to start charging mileage when he does out-of-town jobs in order to help pay for his truck, equipment, advertising and in- surance. "Some people think that anyone can push a broom up and down in a chimney but there is more to it than that," explains Stephenson. RISKY BUSINESS His special equipment allows him to do a thorough job. There are also risks involved. Although he prefers to work on the inside of a chimney from the inside of the house, this is not . always. possible. Sometimes he has to climb onto the roof and this can involve some danger. He once fell off a telephone pole and was burned by seine wires while working for Bell so he has respect for heights., He . wears a special hood . and goggles and is getting a new type of mask to prevent himself from breathing in smoke, soot and fumes on the job, He isn't even a cigarette smoker and doesn't want to do damage to his lungs in any other way. The fact that he is thin helps him on the job, he says. He points out an article in The Sootsayer ("the dirtiest newsletter in America".), a magazine for chimney sweeps, entitled, "No It Wasn't Santa"Claus". It seems that a ° chimney sweep in a large city was cleaning out a chimney when he discovered it was plugged by a dead human body. The police investigated and con- cluded that the body belonged to a man high on drugs and who had climbed into the chimney for a sleep and had gotten stuck. The possibility of robbery was ruled out because the man had been stark naked. Stephenson has never gotten stuck and the only things other than creosote that he has found in chimneys are birds' nests and animals. Stephenson calls his business Cheerio's Chimney Sweep. The title comes from the nickname he acquired while, working at Bell Telephone. Being English and growing up in an English family, he got the habit of saying cheerio instead of goodbye and the Bell Telephone test centre personnel in Stratford began calling him Cheerio instead of Bob. Stephenson says in his newspaper ads that he comes complete with top hat and English accent. Some sweeps wear top hats for luck. The custom of wearing top hats and tails stems from the early days when chimney sweeps were a lower GODERICH AREA PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING TUESDAY, DEC. 5, 1978 7:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS -TOWN HALL 57 WEST STREET PURPOSE: To discuss the redesignatlon of Lot 1045, R.F. 7, located on -the southeast corner of Mach Street and Harbour Street frdm the "in- dustrial" to the "commercial" land use category to permit the establishment of a restaurant. Comments and participation are from all interested persons. For more information, call 524.4492. K. HUNTER weiconted Secretary c. r nson... class of society and often had clothes handed down to them by wealthier classes and in particular by undertakers. CLIMBING BOYS, Sweeps have been around for centuries and although many. people think they originated in England because of the movie Mary Poppins and those portrayed in novels by Dickens, the earliest recorded mention of chimneys is in some writing preserved in Venice from 1347. In England, down even to the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth I, the greater part of the houses had no chimneys. When chimneys came into widespread use, they were often cleansed by house servants, for a person could easily stand erect in the huge old- fashioned constructions and thrust up a broom as fa,r as his strength would permit. But there were also regular chimney sweeps in the latter p.art of. the sixteenth century. In the days of the First James and Charles, poor Piedmontese and 'more especially Savoyards resorted to England for the express purpose. How long they labored in this profession is not known. The Savoyards were then the general showmen and sweeps of Europe and so they are still in some of the cities of Italy and France. English children, known as climbing boys, were often made to clean chimneys until a law was passed stating that no child under the age of eight could be employed as a sweep. This law was often violated and also there was no prohibition in it involving a sweeper. employing his own children at whatever age he pleased. Some em- ployed their sons and daughters in chimney sweeping at the ages of four, five and six. The smaller and more slenderly formed the child, the more valuable he was for sweeping inside the flues. Children were often kidnapped for the purpose of being made into chimney sweepers too. In Shakespeare's time, the chimney sweepers seem to have become a recognized class of public cleansers and indications are that their em- ployment was regarded as the meanest, a repute it may bear for some to the present day. VALUABLE SERVICE Chimney sweeps tended to die out when fossil fuels were in- troduced but now with a trend toward wood burning stoves and fireplaces, . sweeps and their expertise are becoming valued. ' Carole Stephenson says she burns wood con- tinuously because hydro is expensive. There is still something special about Turn to page 3A • Bob Stephenson, who has been a part-time chimney sweep for about a year now, says there's more to cleaning chimneys than just pushing a broom up and down inside it. He has about $3,000 tied up in equipment like this in- dustrial vacuum cleaner which allows him to do a thorough job. Chimneys should be cleaned annually for safety's sake, he says. About 250 chimney fires were reported in Toronto last year. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Denis and Lynda Invite _ You to Come and Browse Through LIZARD'S PLACE (The Jean Connection) 106 THE SQUARE GODERICH OPENING SALE Starting Nov. 27th JEANS -SWEATERS SKIRTS -SHIRTS EAPTHSHINE and SAGITTARIUS he Two Best arpet Values Ile Have ver. Offered! Last month' we introduced two new carpets: Earthshine and Sagittarius, both by Constellation, one of the finest carpet makers in the industry. We believe that these two carpets represent exceptional value. They cost a little more than ordinary carpets but once you buy _them and install them in your home, you'll never regret the extra few dollars they cost. Earthshine and Sagittarius: the ultimate in luxury, quality and wearability Probably the two best carpet values we have ever offered. 100% Nylon Here's a 100% Here'sConstellationOthat'snylon carpet by today's look in just right for The fashionable redecorating. ashionable sculpture and warm multi -colored d look blend beautifullyeffect The attached foam any decor, Padding means easy do-it-bber under - installation with y do -it no big yourself buy. And because it's extras to DuPont TEFLON,treated for and resists it's easy with Available in ninedirtand •I tg care soiling. 12 -ft. widths decorator colors, RUSSET CHINCHILLA GOLDEN GLOw RIVIERA MHARVESTOST CHAMPAGNE FERNDELL With Attached FOAM .. RUBBER UNDERPADDING A heavier, more luxurious carpet by Constellation thatfi reyeas it A s A elegant good looks 100% nylon carved sax°ny with beige foam rubber underpadding that lets you save on labor COSts because you can easily trim it to fit. It's easy to care for and it re- wt sists dirt and soiling because it's treated with DuPont's t usil s TEFLON carpet able in 12 -ft. widths in nine decorator colors. DUSTY BEIGE CORNISH CREAM DESERT SANDS MALECHI?E PAPRIKA TUMBLEWEED DUSTY BLUE MELBA TOAST AUTUMN WOODS CUSTOM INSTALLATION by toned installers available at extra cost Delivery And Credit Terms A vai/ab/te At extra Cost Prices Shown are Cash & Carry 16 BRANCHES: Aiv1HERSTBURG EXETER GODERICH GRAND SEND HARROW KINCARDINE KINGSVILLE KITCHENER OWEN SOUND' RIDGETOWN SOUTHAMPTON THEDFORD WEST LORNE WINDSOR EAST WINDSOR WEST MATTHEWS' 736-2151 235.1422 524-8321 .238.2374 738;2221 396-3403 733.2341 744-637t 376.3181 6745465 797.3245 296.4991 768.1520 7276001 734.1221 254-1143 r: HOME CENTRES._. LOTS OF FREE PARKING ;gid rmr. J stir Wm snrwe, woad KITCHENER 1 1 589 Fairway Road4outh near the Mall. Phone 744.8371 1< OWEN SOUND " SV�ro^w H., �, �• On Highway 2t at Springmount Corner Phone 378.3181 n+, 2' Nora -n • KINCARDINE Hwy 21 North 'opposite the Sutton Park Inn, Phone 398.3403