Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Hebron fireplace burning well. They also catch potential safety or structural risks … before they become dangerous.
A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the discovery 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 started, 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 Hebron house. The situation 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 Hebron, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.
Attached to the upper opening 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 released outside.
Chimney liner installation is normally 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 be inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” fix to a multitude of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more costly repairs.
How do you know when a chimney liner might be required? A giveaway is finding 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 detect efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys without hesitation. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain point, solutions get far more complicated (and costly).
Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they contain vital systems that depend on a reliable surrounding structure to operate properly. A slight malfunction can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can address the issues – and line up your Hebron home for better days ahead.