Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Remedy for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Scenarios in Greenfield

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Greenfield 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 detection of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that whisks 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 minor ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Greenfield home. The problem can’t be overlooked.

Luckily, a cost-effective alternative exists to replacing or reconstructing damaged flue tiles: a stainless steel chimney liner. Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Greenfield, 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 moves smoke and gases all the way to the chimney cap, where they are vented 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 on condition that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” solution to a number of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more costly repairs.

How do you notice when a chimney liner might be required? A clue is spotting 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 detect efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys without hesitation. Once a chimney structure breaks down to a certain point, solutions get far more complex (and costly).

Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a sound 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 Greenfield home for better days ahead.