Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Fix for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Scenarios in Cambridge

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Cambridge fireplace burning well. They also identify potential safety or structural hazards … before they become dangerous.

A not uncommon revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the detection of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that carries smoke up and out. The damage is usually from rapid temperature changes the tiles endure. When fires are lit, a blast of heat warms cold tiles very quickly. Over time, the interaction takes a toll.

Cracks in the tiles, even little ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Cambridge house. The issue can’t be ignored.

Luckily, a cost-effective alternative exists to replacing or reconstructing damaged flue tiles: a stainless steel chimney liner. Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Cambridge, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Coupled to the upper opening of a fireplace, a chimney flue liner is essentially a round tube running the length of the chimney. It transfers smoke and gases all the way to the chimney cap, where they are vented outdoors. 

Chimney liner installation is usually a one-day project for Butler Chimneys. Flue tiles inside the chimney are broken out. The stainless liner for chimneys is lowered from the cap, and attached to the fireplace piping.

A new flue liner has a lifetime warranty, normally requiring that the fireplace and chimney are inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” remedy to a multitude of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more costly repairs.

How do you notice when a chimney liner might be needed? A giveaway is noticing efflorescence – a buildup of white, chalky powder – on a chimney’s exterior.

This symptom usually forms when an appliance(s) – such as a furnace or water heater – vents into the chimney. If flue tiles are cracked or damaged, moisture and gases from the appliance(s) can escape into the chimney cavity. They slowly eat away the chimney’s masonry. Efflorescence appears outside as bricks and mortar deteriorate.

If you see efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys immediately. Once a chimney structure breaks down to a certain point, solutions get far more complicated (and costly).

Chimneys might look simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a reliable surrounding structure to work properly. A slight malfunction can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can take care of the issues – and line up your Cambridge home for better days ahead.