Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Remedy for a Variety of Fireplace and Chimney Scenarios in Saint Anthony

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Saint Anthony fireplace operating well. They also spot potential safety or structural hazards … 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 guides 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 little ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Saint Anthony house. The situation can’t be overlooked.

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 Saint Anthony, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Attached to the upper mouth 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 outdoors. 

Chimney liner installation is usually 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 true “out of sight, out of mind” fix to a number of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more costly repairs.

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

This indicator 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 detect efflorescence, the smart move is to contact Butler Chimneys immediately. Once a chimney structure breaks down to a certain level, solutions get far more complex (and costly).

Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a sound 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 Saint Anthony home for better days ahead.