Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners. They say out of sight, out of mind. (Who the heck says that anyway?) Out of sight, yes, but don’t forget about your liner if you have an older house. They don’t last forever. But wait! Really old homes were sometimes built sans a liner at all. Yikes. Liners actually come in several forms. From just a plain flue to clay ceramics to stainless steel. Today, most new homes are built with a liner, and both ceramic and steel have a life of about 50 years. Obviously, a plain flue is just the inside of the chimney material, usually brick. Ceramics come in squares or rectangles, lining the flue. In both these cases damage occurs because the build-up of the creosote contained in the smoke works it way into the joints. Expansion and contraction over time loosens these joints then the interior wall adjacent to the flue is in danger of receiving excess heat and becomes a fire hazard. Happily, there are several ways to re-line your flue. Stainless steel comes in many sizes and, to me, seems the easiest solution. Replacing or repairing ceramics is another method, and another is cast (or poured cement) liners. Have your chimney inspected, if the liner is deteriorating or worse, call your local chimney company to do the repair.