Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Solution for a Variety of Fireplace and Chimney Problems in Waukesha County

Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Waukesha County fireplace operating well. They also identify 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 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 little ones, can allow smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Waukesha County house. The issue 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 Waukesha County, 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 carries 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 requiring that the fireplace and chimney are inspected annually. It’s a genuine “out of sight, out of mind” remedy to a multitude of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more costly repairs.

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

This indicator usually appears 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 deteriorate.

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 sound surrounding structure to function properly. A slight break can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can address the issues – and line up your Waukesha County home for better days ahead.