Why chimney cleaning & sweep works differently in Welland
Welland sits in a freeze-thaw belt, and freeze-thaw is what quietly takes apart masonry, flashing and venting.
Older Welland stock was built when soft lime mortar and clay liners were the standard; modern high-efficiency appliances vent very differently, and the mismatch causes condensation the original builder never planned for.
Snow load and ice damming stress the roof-to-wall junction each winter; by spring the sealant that was doing the work has usually torn.
Across Fitch, Chippawa Park, Broadway, Empire and Dain City, 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.
the practical takeaway is that a chimney cleaning & sweep 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.

