Chimney Liners

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

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Slabtown fireplace burning well. They also find potential safety or structural risks … 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 guides smoke up and out. The damage is typically from sudden 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 allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Slabtown 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 Slabtown, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Connected 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, typically on condition that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” fix to a number of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more costly repairs.

How do you know when a chimney liner might be needed? A giveaway is finding 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 leak 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 right away. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain level, remedies 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 break can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can take care of the issues – and line up your Slabtown home for better days ahead.