Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Solution for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Problems in Barton

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Barton fireplace operating well. They also find potential safety or structural risks … before they become dangerous.

A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the identification of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that projects smoke up and out. The damage is usually 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 little ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Barton house. The issue can’t be overlooked.

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 Barton, 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 carries smoke and gases all the way to the chimney cap, where they are released 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 on condition 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 costly repairs.

How do you detect when a chimney liner might be required? A clue 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 break down.

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

Chimneys might look simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a reliable surrounding structure to work properly. A slight break can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can take care of the issues – and line up your Barton home for better days ahead.