Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Fix for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Issues in Willow Springs

Annual chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Willow Springs fireplace burning well. They also find potential safety or structural hazards … before they become dangerous.

A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the detection of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that carries smoke up and out. The damage is usually 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 minor ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Willow Springs home. The issue can’t be ignored.

Fortunately, 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 Willow Springs, has put in hundreds of liners in the local area.

Coupled 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 vented 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 on condition that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” answer to a multitude of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially requiring far more pricey repairs.

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

If you notice efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys immediately. Once a chimney structure deteriorates to a certain level, 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 work properly. A slight malfunction can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can address the issues – and line up your Willow Springs home for better days ahead.