Why is it Important to Install a Chimney Liner?

Chimney liners serve as an extra layer between the inside of the chimney and the framing of your home.  This provides another layer of protection as common defects can appear in the chimney.  Defects, no matter how small, can begin a process that will further erode the chimney and can pose a threat to your family’s safety through the creation of health risks.  Poisonous gases could potentially infiltrate the home.

More importantly, combustible creosote or soot can also escape through these openings and build up outside the chimney flue liner. If the creosote were to catch fire in this area of your chimney, serious damage can occur, because the fire can no longer be contained within the flue. Homes built prior to the 1940’s were typically built without a chimney liner. As a result, chimney and house fires were more common. Today, there are a few reasons why you may need a new liner: If your chimney has no liner, if it was installed improperly, or if it’s deteriorating or defective.

There are three main types of chimney liners. These include clay tile liners, cast-in-place liners, and stainless-steel liners. All three types provide adequate protection but which liner is appropriate for your home, should be determined by a professional. Best Cincinnati Chimney can assist with this and ensure that your chimney liner installation goes smoothly.

Did you know that by installing a stainless steel liner inside your chimney, you are providing a “forever fix” with a limited lifetime warranty with proper maintenance?

The Importance of Furnace Liners

Furnaces, boilers and hot water tanks exhaust large quantities of water vapor during the normal combustion process of natural gas. Oil and gas furnaces produce by-products which can literally eat away the flue lining. Any type of furnace liner that is breached can cause a fire, since heat can reach combustible parts of the home. Clay liner that have gaps or cracks, allow this moisture into the interior structure which eventually deteriorates the masonry structure from the inside out. Additionally, gases vented from gas burning appliances can escape the lining and migrate into the home.

Blockage in a furnace flue is extremely hazardous because it can cause carbon monoxide fumes to enter your home

One of the most common problems that can occur with chimneys is blockage, regardless of what type of furnace fuel is used.

A furnace flue inspection should be scheduled

-At least once per year

-Before moving into a new home

-Before the installation of a new furnace

Types of liners and liner repairs 

1.     Flue Tiles – Used mostly for straight , short chimneys, this method of lining is used mostly on new construction. You generally cannot replace Terra cotta tiles but you can repair them.

2.    HeatShield® Cerfractory Flue Sealant Restores Your Chimney tiles– HeatShield® is a specially formulated “Cerfractory®” sealant material that restores the integrity of your chimney’s flue to vent hazardous flue gases from your home. It eliminates the dangers in your chimney caused by gaps, cracks and spalling for years to come. Best Cincinnati Chimney is a certified HeatSheild distributor. By using either the Joint Repair System or Resurfacing System, depending on the defects found, your chimney can be restored to its original peak level of safety and efficiency. View the HeatShield® manufacturer’s website.

3.    Stainless Steel Liners – This method of relining involves installing a round or oval stainless steel liner in the chimney. The liner can be either rigid or flexible; flexible liners are used for chimneys with offsets. Stainless steel liners are used mainly for woodstoves and oil furnace installations. Best Cincinnati Chimney offers UL Listed stainless steel lining systems that come with a manufacturer’s Lifetime Warranty.

4.    Aluminum – This method is similar to stainless steel, but the liner is made of aluminum. Aluminum liners do not tolerate the heat that stainless steel will. Aluminum liners can only be used to vent certain types of gas appliances. Note: Gas logs intended for installation in wood-burning fireplaces may not be vented with aluminum liners. We do not recommend, nor will we install aluminum liners in woodburning fireplaces or stoves.

Flex Liners- These are aluminimum liners that are used in heating and dryer vents.