Why do I need Chimney Relining?

Chimney liners is an important safety feature that provides a protective layer to the chimneys. A chimney relining contractor can tell you A chimney liner is a material that covers the inside of the chimney flue and protects the chimney from combusting products and expelling the materials from the top of the chimney. As per the law, it is a must to have a chimney liner. It also protects the inside of the chimney from weakening which can lead to fumes, sparks into the walls, roof and attic. Chimney liners can be built into the chimney or can be put later also.

What is chimney relining?

Many chimney liners deteriorate over a period of time making it unsafe to use a fireplace. When liner begins to crack or crumble, you need to get chimney relined. If in doubt, ask chimney professional to show the damaged area using a special camera. Chimney relining means installing a new liner.

Why reline a chimney?

Are you living in a house built prior to 1950s? At that time the masons did not use terracotta flue liners and chimneys were mostly made of bricks, stones or concrete blocks. When mortar falls out, gap is formed and these gaps can allow more heat which can come into contact with combustible substances leading to fire and producing carbon monoxide. The chimney can have stainless liner and better insulation. Also a rigid or flexible liner is required. If you want to reline a straight chimney of about 12 ft, then go for rigid liner.

If you have wood stove attached to a thimble (usually made of metal or terracotta), the flue can turn out to be too big. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are certain standards to be followed while installing a flue. The flue area should not be bigger than twice the size of the collar for exterior chimney and three times for an interior chimney. Terracotta tiles can vary in their thickness, so it is always better to measure the dimensions. For instance, an 8X8 flue tile will have an area of 48 sq. inches and a 12X12 and area of 121 sq. inches.

When installing wood stoves in fireplaces, it should have a liner till the top of the flue. Having a direct connect, which is less expensive, means the flue will be bigger than the flue collar. It will not draft well, take longer time to heat up, there will be more wood consumption and it can also be dangerous. If you have a direct connect, it could lead to the formation of creosote and it could lead to fire. It will also be difficult to clean the creosote.

Getting the chimney relined by a professional is important because it will give a better draft to the chimney, remain clean for a longer period and creosote buildup will be slow.