Your chimney is designed to remove hot air and gases produced in your fireplace out of your home quickly and smoothly. However, if the inside of your chimney is cracked or is crumbling, hot gas and smoke can churn inside it. If you don’t have a protective barrier, hot air and gases produced in your fireplace could affect your home’s safety even more. At Northeastern Masonry & Chimney, we highly value and emphasize the importance of having a functioning chimney liner. We want help you understand how a chimney liner protects your home, and signs that your chimney liner isn’t working properly.
What is a chimney liner?
A chimney liner is a protective lining made of clay, metal, or ceramic. The liner lines the inside of your chimney to protect the interior walls from heat transfer and gases seeping through your masonry. Did you know that tests have shown that without a chimney liner in place, it only takes 3 ½ hours for enough heat to transfer from your chimney to the woodwork surrounding to start on fire?
In fact, research by the National Bureau of Standards states that installing a chimney without a liner is ‘little less than criminal”. We high suggest having a chimney liner, as this protects your chimney and home from all kinds of danger.
Is your chimney liner functional?
In the 1940’s, all chimneys must have a chimney liner. However, if your home was built before the 1940’s, you should ensure to install a chimney liner. A few signs that your chimney isn’t functioning properly. This include flakes of clay or ceramic in your fireplace, smoke backing up and coming out of your fireplace, and hot spots on your walls adjacent to your fireplace or chimney. If you notice a hot spot, you need to put out your fire immediately and call the local fire department. Another way to determine if your liner is working properly is to have it inspected by one of our Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney technicians.
We can help!
At Northeastern Masonry & Chimney, our CSIA certified chimney technicians are experts at chimney relining. We have lots of options available.
- One popular option is M-flex stainless steel liners. M-flex is popular because it is durable and can be retro-fitted into most systems.
- If your liner has just a few chips and cracks, there is another product we use called HeatShield®. HeatShield is a sealant that we layer on the inside of your chimney to fill in any gaps and cracks in your liner.
- The type of fuel you use can also affect the type of liner you need. Oil-fired appliances produce byproducts that are acidic and eat away at the flue quickly. We also offer liners specifically for oil-fired appliances.
- Gas appliances also produce an acidic byproduct. Because natural gas produces carbon monoxide when burned, it is very hazardous to your health. We specialize in lining ventilation for gas appliances too.
- If you own an older masonry chimney, it might not even have a liner. The smoke chamber may also not be smoothed down. This is an issue because smoke needs a clear path out of your chimney to work properly. We use Thermocrete Ceramic liners for older chimneys. Thermocrete insulates very well, but it doesn’t reduce the size of your chimney ventilation. We also use a smoke chamber sealant to increase the production and safety of your chimney.
If you think that you need a new chimney liner, call Northeastern Masonry & Chimney at 518-767-9315 or visit us online to set up an appointment with one of out expert chimney technicians today! We look forward to serving you!