The time a raccoon taught me to double check my damper

I was on a job last Tuesday at an old Victorian in Portland. Finished the sweep, closed the damper, drove 20 minutes to the next house. Got a call from the homeowner saying there was a raccoon stuck in their chimney. Had to drive all the way back, pop the damper open, and watch that thing scramble out covered in soot. Now I always give the damper a second look before I pack up, especially on older flues.

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.margaret16h ago

@stellam89 is right, that raccoon skeleton thought is pretty grim but probably true in some old houses. I bet there's more bones in those chimneys than people realize because folks don't think to check after they've sealed the damper. Adds a whole new reason to double check everything before you leave.

stellam891d ago

That's rough, but honestly I wonder how many other critters have gotten stuck that way and the homeowner never even knew. Like there could be whole raccoon skeletons just chilling in some old chimneys out there.