Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Fix for a Variety of Fireplace and Chimney Problems in Victory Center

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Victory Center fireplace burning well. They also identify potential safety or structural risks … 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 guides 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 small ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Victory Center home. The situation 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 Victory Center, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Connected 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 vented 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, typically requiring that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” solution to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more pricey repairs.

How do you identify when a chimney liner might be needed? A clue is spotting 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 break down.

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

Chimneys might look simple. Truth is, they hold vital systems that depend on a reliable 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 Victory Center home for better days ahead.