Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Solution for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Issues in Fort Atkinson

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Fort Atkinson fireplace operating well. They also spot potential safety or structural risks … before they become dangerous.

A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the identification of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that carries smoke up and out. The damage is typically 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 small ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Fort Atkinson house. The problem can’t be ignored.

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

Attached to the upper mouth of a fireplace, a chimney flue liner is essentially a round tube running the length of the chimney. It carries 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, typically requiring that the fireplace and chimney are inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” remedy to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more costly repairs.

How do you know when a chimney liner might be required? A symptom is spotting efflorescence – a buildup of white, chalky powder – on a chimney’s exterior.

This symptom usually appears 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 smart move is to contact Butler Chimneys without hesitation. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain level, solutions get far more complex (and costly).

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