Bob Davis is a home remodeling contractor and fireplace enthusiast from eastern Ohio. Specializing in restoring older homes, he gets a lot of questions about chimneys. He decided to start this site after noticing the lack of information about chimney liners on the internet in the hopes of helping homeowners improve the safety and efficiency of their chimneys. His hobbies are golf and bird watching.About Chimney Lining
A chimney serves as the exit path for harmful gases, dangerous smoke, and toxic fumes that are produced as wood is burned in a fireplace. A chimney lining helps to ensure that these toxins successfully escape your home. Without proper lining, smoke and gases can absorb into the bricks and stone of your chimney increasing the risk of fire, chimney build up, and possible toxic contamination of your home. That’s why it is important to maintain and replace chimney lining on a regular basis. Chimney liners are subject to very high temperatures and volatile chemicals so they must be replaced from time to time.
Many choose to have their chimneys professionally re-lined when needed. Chimney sweeping companies generally offer a flue lining chimney service as well. This is the best option for people who are not particularly handy or don’t have much experience in home improvement because professionals have the right equipment to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Some consumers may choose to attempt this project on their own. It’s possible to do it yourself to save some money if you do a bit of research and planning first. This is a delicate job so some organization is necessary. Lining a chimney is a relatively simple process, although it does require hard work and is often a very dirty job.
The first step to lining a chimney is to clean the chimney. Cleaning the chimney involves removing any obstacles and obstructions within the chimney. Additionally, soot buildup and residue must be cleaned from the inner walls. Remove any broken liner pieces or existing lining. A new chimney liner should never be installed without first ensuring that the chimney itself is perfectly clean and clear. You can clean it yourself with a chimney brush or hire a chimney sweep.
Next, the new lining system must be put together. Often, this involves attaching several pieces of tubing using rivets and cement. The end of the lining must be molded to the shape of your current chimney damper to allow a tight seal. This is a delicate job so some organization and planning is necessary. It is easier and safer to assemble the liner while on the ground and then to transport the fully assembled lining to the chimney for permanent placement. The liner will be very long and awkward to carry. It is best to enlist several people in the transportation process for optimal safety.
The lining must then be inserted into the chimney. Often this is a time consuming process that involves slowly feeding the section of tubing into the chimney. Be careful while inserting the liner to move slowly and carefully. Chimney lining is very rigid and can easily break or crack especially at the seals. Plan on setting aside several hours for this entire process so that you won’t feel rushed and damage the liner. Any open spaces can create big problems down the road. Keep inserting the lining into the chimney very carefully until it is securely into position.
Once the lining is in place, secure the lining to the chimney by attaching it to the damper and completing the installation by attaching the chimney cover. The cover will protect your home from moisture from various outside elements.
It is important to install the liner correctly to prevent chimney fires and excessive smoke. You should carefully research chimney flue lining installation before attempting to install a system yourself. Professional installation is the easiest and safest method for replacing or installing lining. If you do choose to install it yourself, you may want to have an inspector come to ensure that you have done it correctly and there are no potential dangers. Although you will have to pay for the inspection, it is much cheaper than hiring someone to install it and it will give you peace of mind that there is no possibility of harm to your home or family arising from the liner.
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Tagged with: chimney fires, chimney inspection, Chimney liner, chimney sweep, toxic chemicals
Chimney Insert Guide
You may have heard of a chimney insert before and although the name gives some vague indication of what it is, you may be wondering exactly what it does and why you might need one. Chimney inserts first enter the minds of many homeowners when the term is tossed around in relation to a home inspection or remodeling permit. But what exactly does it do and why is it necessary? Let’s break down some basic information about the chimney insert.
As chimneys age, the effects of burning multiple fires in them over the years begins to take its toll on the structure of the chimney. You can’t necessarily see what is going on inside, but you can only imagine that with all of the heat and fumes from repeated fires that some damage is bound to occur. For example, the mortar in between the bricks of the chimney often begins to deteriorate, creating cracks and holes through which toxic gases and even flames can enter your house. In many older homes, the chimney is inside the house and built into the floor supports or other infrastructure, which means these dangerous byproducts of fires could easily enter your living space. Even newer chimneys are not immune to these dangers, which is why most building codes require chimneys to be lined, particularly those attached to fireplaces.
What a chimney insert or chimney liner does is protect the chimney from all of these dangerous gases and flames. It provides an extra layer through which all of these elements must pass before entering your home and causing problems for you and your family. It is simply a lining made of clay or other materials that covers the inside of your chimney for the gases to pass through on their way out of your roof. It also provides insulation, which improves the efficiency of using a fireplace for heating (not to mention keeping in heat generated by other heat sources in your home).
Perhaps you want a chimney liner insert for peace of mind, or maybe you have to install one to pass a home inspection or get a building permit. Several options exist when it comes to installing chimney insert liners. Although you can install a chimney liner yourself, most people prefer to hire a professional. If you are confident in your home repair skills, you can buy a kit at a home improvement store and lower the insert into your chimney, but this is not a straightforward process. If your chimney is not a standard size or has some curves, the extra money for expert installation will be worth it. After installation, it is important to get a chimney inspection every year or two to ensure it is still in good working order so you can continue to reap the benefits of a chimney insert liner for years to come.
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Tagged with: chimney fires, chimney inspection, Chimney liner, clay liners, fireplace, flue liner, inserts
How to Tell If You Need a Flue Liner
Not sure if you need a flue liner? It’s easy to be confused with all of the chimney advice and terminology out there. Complicating matters even more is the fact that each house is different, and chimney construction can vary dramatically depending on region, age, material, and many other factors. Here are some general guidelines that can help you determine if you need a flue liner.
First, let’s clarify what exactly we are talking about. The physical structure in your house that brings the smoke from the fire to the outside is the chimney, which in most cases is built onto an exterior wall of your house. Some chimneys can go up through the middle of the house to the roof as well, but either way, the chimney is the physical structure. What is inside the chimney differs from home to home, but you may find insulation or just a big empty open space. Generally speaking, the hollow area inside the chimney through which the smoke passes is known as the flue. Some flues have a lining inside of them, and this is the flue liner or chimney liner.
Not every chimney has a flue liner, and some that do may have one that is ineffective, outdated, or even worse… dangerous. Here’s how to tell if you need to install, update, or replace your flue liner.
- Your house is old. Particularly if it was built before the 1960′s, you are going to need a flue liner. Older chimneys were built without liners, and over time, the byproducts of the smoke can corrode the inside of the chimney. This may be difficult to detect, or you may sometimes see a sandy-type material fall down into your fireplace.
- Your chimney is leaking. You may suspect that smoke is leaking, smell fumes in other rooms that the chimney passes through when you use the fireplace, or you may actually see smoke escaping from your chimney. In some cases stains may be visible around the chimney. In any case, this is bad news and calls for a chimney inspection to determine the cause of the problem. A flue liner can normally solve this problem pretty easily, but if left untreated, it can be extremely dangerous for your family and for the structure of your home.
Your chimney liner is the wrong size. If you have updated a fireplace since the home was built, your flue liner may be the wrong size. Many older flues are too large for modern fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. Even if they do have flue liners, over time the liners can develop cracks, especially clay ones, which leads to gases escaping into the house and could eventually lead to a chimney fire.- Your chimney is on an exterior wall. If your chimney is on an outside wall, it is even more important to have a working flue liner and good insulation. Exterior wall chimneys are exposed much more to the elements, such as the cold, and this makes them more susceptible to damage and to eventual updraft problems. When it’s too cold, smoke could spill into the house if your chimney liner is too big, and it can also lead to too much creosote which is another cause of chimney fires.
The bottom line is that a flue liner is a very important part of a fireplace. Unless you are using electric fireplace logs, it is a good idea to ensure you have a properly installed chimney flue liner.
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Tagged with: chimney fires, Chimney liner, clay liners, creosote, fireplace, flue, flue liner, wood-burning stove