Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Vinnie Ha Ha fireplace burning well. They also catch potential safety or structural risks … before they become dangerous.
A fairly common 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 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 allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Vinnie Ha Ha house. The situation can’t be overlooked.
Fortunately, 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 Vinnie Ha Ha, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.
Coupled to the upper opening 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 released outside.
Chimney liner installation is usually 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” remedy to a variety 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 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 see efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys right away. Once a chimney structure breaks down to a certain level, solutions get far more complicated (and costly).
Chimneys might appear 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 fix the issues – and line up your Vinnie Ha Ha home for better days ahead.