Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Remedy for a Variety of Fireplace and Chimney Scenarios in Holy Cross

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Holy Cross fireplace operating well. They also find potential safety or structural hazards … 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 typically from sudden 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 leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Holy Cross home. The issue can’t be ignored.

Luckily, 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 Holy Cross, has put in hundreds of liners in the local area.

Coupled to the upper mouth 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 outdoors. 

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, usually on condition that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” answer to a multitude of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more expensive repairs.

How do you detect when a chimney liner might be required? A symptom is finding 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 escape 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 smart move is to contact Butler Chimneys immediately. Once a chimney structure breaks down to a certain level, remedies get far more complicated (and costly).

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