Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Remedy for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Issues in Meeker

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

A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the discovery 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 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 Meeker home. The situation 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 Meeker, has put in 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 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 are inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” remedy to a number of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more expensive repairs.

How do you detect when a chimney liner might be needed? A symptom is noticing 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 see efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys immediately. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain point, solutions get far more complex (and costly).

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