Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Solution for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Scenarios in Mapleton

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

A not uncommon revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the identification of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that whisks 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 leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Mapleton home. The issue can’t be ignored.

Luckily, a cost-effective option exists to replacing or reconstructing damaged flue tiles: a stainless steel chimney liner. Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Mapleton, 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 carries 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, normally requiring that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” answer to a number of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more expensive repairs.

How do you notice when a chimney liner might be required? A giveaway is seeing 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 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 point, 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 take care of the issues – and line up your Mapleton home for better days ahead.