Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Remedy for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Issues in Ixonia

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

A not uncommon 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 Ixonia house. The problem can’t be overlooked.

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

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

Chimney liner installation is typically 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, usually requiring that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” fix to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more pricey 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 leak 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, remedies get far more complicated (and costly).

Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a sound surrounding structure to operate properly. A slight break can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can address the issues – and line up your Ixonia home for better days ahead.