What is a chimney liner?
Today’s building code requires liners in all new chimneys. These smooth metal or hard clay liners allow for a smooth flow of exhaust, and a more efficient operation of the fireplace. It is also easier to clean a lined chimney. Before 1954 or so, fireplaces were typically constructed of stone or bricks and mortar, and were generally not lined. If you have an old fireplace, the mortar may have broken down into its original state – sand. That means you might have small holes in the chimney that could lead to fire in the walls. The absence of a liner also increases the build-up of creosote, a tar-like substance. Creosote can be ignited by heat. The resulting flash fire could be intense enough to crack your masonry, or generate enough sparks to start a roof fire.
Currently, most masonry chimneys are built with terra-cotta clay tiles stacked and mortared inside the brick structure. These tiles serve as a gas-tight and heat-resistant insulator against the masonry structure. Without a liner, or with cracked and damaged liners, there would be heat transfer or actual seepage through the brick and mortar. A liner is a stainless steel tube inserted into a chimney to draft an furnace, woodstove or fireplace. The appliance will vent through that stainless pipe and use the existing chimney structure as an encasement. New liners are gas tight systems and insulated for highest efficiency. This system can solve most drafting and safety issues of chimney fire damaged or older unlined chimney flues. Back to top.
Currently, most masonry chimneys are built with terra-cotta clay tiles stacked and mortared inside the brick structure. These tiles serve as a gas-tight and heat-resistant insulator against the masonry structure. Without a liner, or with cracked and damaged liners, there would be heat transfer or actual seepage through the brick and mortar. A liner is a stainless steel tube inserted into a chimney to draft an furnace, woodstove or fireplace. The appliance will vent through that stainless pipe and use the existing chimney structure as an encasement. New liners are gas tight systems insulated for highest efficiency. This system can solve most drafting and safety issues of chimney fire damaged or older unlined chimney flues. For more info about chimney Liners at Chimney Safety Institute click here Back to top.
A chimney liner is the conduit, normally located within the chimney of a home heated by wood, gas, or oil, through which smoke, heat, and fuel by-products are expelled. Up until the mid-1900s, a surprising number of homes still featured chimneys without a liner of any kind. It was no coincidence that chimney fires and house fires were far more prevalent in those times than they are in modern times. Almost all chimneys are now lined. For new construction or a home renovation, a chimney liner is almost universally required by government building codes. Although laws vary both by state and country, the mandate that a liner be installed exists in virtually all locales. The three primary types of liners are clay, metal, and a version that is cast in place. Due to their low cost, clay or ceramic tiles are probably still the most common form of chimney liner. For use with a fireplace that is primarily decorative, and not the main heating source of a home, clay is a perfectly fine choice. Howe
Before we explain what a chimney relining system is, let’s learn what a chimney lining system is. Most masonry chimneys are constructed with an inner liner of clay tiles. The purpose of this liner is to keep the heat of flue gases inside the chimney so the chimney can’t overheat the nearby combustible material, such as the framing and walls of your house, and possibly cause a fire. The liner also keeps carbon monoxide, moisture, smoke, creosote, and other products of combustion from seeping through the bricks and mortar of your chimney and leaking into your home. As you can see, a secure lining system is crucial to the safety and well being of your home and family. This brings us to a chimney relining system. What is it? Simple. It’s what you need when the original clay tile liner was either never installed, or when the tile lining cracks, crumbles and deteriorates over time. Water damage, chimney fires, or just age can cause the deterioration of your clay liner. When that happens the
