Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Belgium fireplace operating well. They also identify potential safety or structural hazards … 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 carries smoke up and out. The damage is typically 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 small ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Belgium home. The issue can’t be ignored.
Fortunately, 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 Belgium, has put in 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 normally 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” remedy to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating 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 symptom 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 spot efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys right away. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain point, solutions get far more complicated (and costly).
Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a reliable surrounding structure to operate properly. A slight break can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can take care of the issues – and line up your Belgium home for better days ahead.