What makes creosote removal in Toronto its own problem
Homes in Toronto rarely fail all at once — they fail slowly, through one heating season at a time.
The swing between a January cold snap and a February thaw can move a masonry assembly enough to open joints that looked sound in the fall.
Salt spray and road grit carried by winter wind accelerate corrosion on exterior metal components far faster in Toronto than the manufacturer's rating assumes.
Across Yonge and Eglinton, Summerhill, Downtown, Cabbagetown and Forest Hill, the housing stock changes street by street, and the correct method changes with it. A century home with a soft-brick stack does not get the same treatment as a 2010 build with a factory-built vent — using one method on both is how systems get damaged.
If you live anywhere near the CN Tower, the practical takeaway is that a creosote removal visit should start with an assessment, not a tool. Any crew that begins work before telling you what they found is guessing on your behalf.