Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Fix for a Variety of Fireplace and Chimney Problems in Johnson Creek

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Johnson Creek fireplace operating 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 started, a blast of heat warms cold tiles very quickly. Over time, the interaction takes a toll.

Cracks in the tiles, even minor ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Johnson Creek house. The problem can’t be overlooked.

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 Johnson Creek, has put in 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 transfers smoke and gases all the way to the chimney cap, where they are released outdoors. 

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, normally requiring that the fireplace and chimney are inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” remedy to a number of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more expensive repairs.

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

This indicator 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 break down.

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

Chimneys might look 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 Johnson Creek home for better days ahead.