When Is It Time To Reline My Chimney?

You Know It's Time When...

A chimney liner, or flue, is the inner portion of a chimney that contains and channels the products of combustion. For a chimney liner to work properly, it must be free from perforations, cracks, or damage of any kind. If it isn't intact it can allow the products of combustion, such as carbon monoxide, moisture, smoke, and creosote, to seep into the living spaces of the home, or the heat from the products of combustion to pose a fire risk to combustible materials near the flue such as framing, walls, ceilings, insulation, or floors.

Repair or replacement chimney liners typically are made of either rigid stainless steel or flexible stainless steel. Most masonry chimneys are constructed with an inner liner of clay tiles. Relining systems are available if an original clay tile liner was either never installed, or when the tile lining cracks, crumbles and deteriorates over time. Water damage, chimney fires, or just age can cause the deterioration of your clay liner.

Tips on Relining

To figure out the maximum size flue liner you can install, go on your roof and measure the inside diameter of your existing flue opening. You also need to know what length of liner to buy. If it's for a fireplace chimney and you still want to use it as a fireplace, measure from the top of your chimney to the top of the smoke chamber. You must also measure the size of your fireplace opening, height and width. If you're relining in order to use a wood stove, measure from the top of the chimney to where you'll be connecting the stove. Also measure the inside dimension of the exhaust on your wood stove, which establishes the size of liner you need.

When deciding between a rigid or flexible liner bear in mind that, although a rigid liner has the advantage of smooth walls, a flexible liner is far easier to install. Rigid pipe has to be assembled as you install it and long lengths can mean trouble if you happen to drop the partially assembled pipe down the chimney. A general rule of thumb is if you only need to reline about 12 feet (3.7 meters) of straight chimney, go with rigid liner, otherwise choose flexible.

Insulating your liner is important because it will give your chimney a better draft and help it stay cleaner longer. Especially when burning wood, an uninsulated flue will quickly lead to a build up of creosote.

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Characteristics Of A Good Chimney Liner

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Flexible chimney liners are stainless steel cylindrical tubes that reside inside a masonry chimney. These steel tubes are inserted into a masonry chimney, often within the existing flue. A flexible chimney liner is used most often with masonry chimneys that have several bends or even imperfections in them and that are not completely straight. Most flexible chimney liners come in a wide range of sizes to fit your fireplace or fireplace insert.

A chimney liner, or flue, is very important in the construction of your fireplace since it is the innermost portion of a masonry chimney that funnels smoke away from the heating source. For a chimney liner to work properly, it must be free from holes, cracks, or any other kind of damage. If the liner is not completely intact it can allow the products of combustion, such as carbon monoxide, moisture, smoke or creosote to seep into the living spaces of the home. Sometimes the heat from the fireplace poses an additional fire risk to combustible materials near the flue such as framing, walls, ceilings, insulation, and even floors.

Characteristics of a Good Chimney Liner
One of the most important reasons to buy a good flexible chimney liner is to create an additional barrier between a chimney fire and your family. As chimneys age, they do begin to deteriorate and threaten the safety of the home. A flexible chimney liner also allows for easier cleaning of the chimney and extends the life of your masonry chimney.

High-efficiency furnaces that are found in recent renovations and new homes vent acidic moisture into chimneys. Over time this moisture can destroy a masonry chimney. A white film on the chimney’s bricks is a sure tell sign of excess moisture in the masonry chimney. If you notice this white film, invest in a good flexible chimney liner to prevent any damage to your home.

What to Look For in a Flexible Chimney Liner
Most flexible chimney liners are made of stainless steel alloy. An average cost for stainless steel flexible chimney liners is $20 to $40 per foot, which makes them a reasonable choice when replacing or adding a chimney liner to your existing masonry chimney.

When purchasing your flexible chimney liner, look for the properly szed liner possible. Once installed the liner should be insulated. Proper insulation allows the liner to heat up correctly and allows for a good draft and overall heating of the home. Insulation could be a insulation blanket, organic vermiculite, or even a concrete insulation mixture that is poured down the flue to fill the extra space between the chimney liner and the flue.

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