Not many people know about chimneys and are clueless about what goes into installing a new chimney liner in their home. Making sure your chimney is in working condition is important because if not, it can harm your family by allowing toxic smoke to enter your home, risking poisoning of your entire household. The liner protects your home from heat transfer to combustibles and also can protect the masonry of your chimney from the corrosive byproducts of combustion.
There are three main reasons why you’ll need to install a new chimney liner. The first one is because you have an older chimney that doesn’t have any clay tile chimney liner, so you’ll need to install one to update it. The second reason is because your current one is damaged in some way or another, while the third one is because you’re installing a new stove or furnace and it will be vented into your masonry chimney for optimal performance and safety.
If you’re not sure if you need a chimney liner, a chimney professional can provide you photos of the inside of your chimney to show you the damage to your current clay tile liner and help you fix the problem. Here are a couple of things to know about getting a new chimney liner:
Various Liner Types – There are three different categories of chimney liners, which are Light, High Performance and Heavy. The most expensive option is Heavy, with price decreasing down to Light. What makes Heavy so much more is that it’s the thickest and strongest of the three. A chimney professional will be able to inform you on which one you’ll need and why.
What Needs To Be Done – Depending on the type of liner you get and why you need to have it installed, a chimney professional will be able to walk you through the steps. However, if you’re in need of stainless steel liner to use for venting fuel-burning appliances like wood fireplaces or stoves, they must be insulated. In some cases, to fit a stainless steel chimney liner that’s insulation down a flue, a professional has to actually take out the clay flue tiles that are already there, making for a more complex installation. However, the chimney professional will be able to provide you with exact information on the installation process.
Advantages of Insulation – Sometimes you can still opt for a chimney liner that’s insulated even though you have gas or oil appliances because of its advantages, especially if the flue is not in the interior of your house, but rather on the outer wall of your house. A chimney professional can better explain if you should opt for a chimney liner that’s insulated or if you could get away with one that’s not.
While many DIY homeowners can install their own chimney liners, it’s best to contact a professional so that they can provide you with important information that a YouTube tutorial video can’t. Call me any time to schedule an appointment for a chimney inspection or cleaning at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service at 610-626-2439.