Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Koshkonong Manor fireplace burning well. They also spot potential safety or structural risks … before they become dangerous.
A not uncommon revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the identification of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that whisks smoke up and out. The damage is typically from sudden 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 minor ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Koshkonong Manor home. The situation can’t be overlooked.
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 Koshkonong Manor, has put in 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 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 are inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” answer 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 clue is finding 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 break down.
If you see efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys right away. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain level, solutions get far more complicated (and costly).
Chimneys might look simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a sound 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 Koshkonong Manor home for better days ahead.