Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Fix for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Problems in Ozaukee County

Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Ozaukee County fireplace burning well. They also identify potential safety or structural risks … before they become dangerous.

A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the detection of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that guides smoke up and out. The damage is usually 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 little ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Ozaukee County home. The situation can’t be ignored.

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 Ozaukee County, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Attached 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 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, normally requiring that the fireplace and chimney are inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” answer to a multitude of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more expensive repairs.

How do you identify when a chimney liner might be needed? A clue is seeing efflorescence – a buildup of white, chalky powder – on a chimney’s exterior.

This symptom 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 deteriorate.

If you notice efflorescence, the smart move is to contact Butler Chimneys without hesitation. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain point, remedies get far more complex (and costly).

Chimneys might look simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a sound surrounding structure to function properly. A slight malfunction can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can address the issues – and line up your Ozaukee County home for better days ahead.