Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Solution for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Scenarios in Glendale

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Glendale 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 identification 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 minor ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Glendale home. The issue 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 Glendale, 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 transfers 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, normally requiring that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” answer to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more pricey repairs.

How do you identify when a chimney liner might be required? A symptom is seeing 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 escape into the chimney cavity. They slowly eat away the chimney’s masonry. Efflorescence appears outside as bricks and mortar deteriorate.

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

Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they contain vital systems that depend on a reliable surrounding structure to function properly. A slight break can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can fix the issues – and line up your Glendale home for better days ahead.