Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Solution for a Variety of Fireplace and Chimney Issues in Portland

Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Portland fireplace burning well. They also catch potential safety or structural risks … 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 projects smoke up and out. The damage is usually 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 little ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Portland house. The situation 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 Portland, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Connected 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 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” solution to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more expensive repairs.

How do you identify when a chimney liner might be required? A giveaway is noticing 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 spot efflorescence, the smart move is to contact Butler Chimneys without hesitation. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain point, solutions get far more complex (and costly).

Chimneys might look simple. Truth is, they contain vital systems that depend on a sound surrounding structure to work properly. A slight malfunction can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can take care of the issues – and line up your Portland home for better days ahead.