Clean Sweeps of Michigan's Blog

Check Out Our Chimney Relining Options!

There are few chimney components that are as important as the chimney liner. A good chimney liner protects your home, helps your fireplace draft efficiently, and reduces performance problems. Without proper maintenance, chimney liners can become ineffective and unsafe.

What is a chimney liner?

The Chimney Safety Institute of America defines a chimney liner as “A clay, ceramic, or metal conduit installed inside of a chimney, intended to contain the combustion products, direct them to the outside atmosphere, and protect the chimney walls from heat and corrosion.”

What is the purpose of a chimney liner?

All modern fireplaces are built with chimney liners and few homeowners understand their purpose. There are three main functions of a chimney liner.

– Protects building materials. The chimney liner helps protect surrounding insulation, wood, walls, and other building materials from heat transfer from the fireplace and flue.
– Contains byproducts of combustion. Chimneys are not airtight; chimney liners contain the smoke, hot air, gasses, and other byproducts of combustion. This prevent them from spreading to the rest of the house.
– Encourages healthy draft. A lined chimney encourages drafting, allowing byproducts of combustion to draft up and out of the chimney while drawing fresh air and oxygen in.

Does my chimney need to be relined?

Chimney liner damage can be difficult to repair and are hard to view. The best choice for damaged chimney liners is relining because the majority of the flue is inaccessible.

One of the most effective ways to spot damage to the chimney liner is by performing a Chim-Scan inspection. During this video inspection, our professional chimney sweeps use cameras to evaluate the condition of the entire liner. This allows us to identify areas of damage and deterioration in otherwise inaccessible portions of the flue.

Options for chimney relining

If you chimney liner has been damaged from animals, leaks or moisture, or years of wear and tear, it may be time to have the chimney relined. The type of chimney relining you need will depend on the fuel source, type of liner, and amount of damage.

Clay tile liners with damage to the mortar joints may be able to be repaired with a special product known as HeatShield®. HeatShield® is a refractory sealant that repairs mortar joints, fill cracks, or resurface the entire liner.

In addition to HeatShield® relining products, we also offer our customers stainless steel and aluminum liners. These durable metal liners are ideal for gas burning fireplaces. If you’ve converted a masonry fireplace to a gas-burning insert or stove, relining the flue with a metal liner can improve safety and efficiency.

Call Clean Sweeps Of Michigan Today!

You cannot see your chimney liner but it plays an important role in the safety and efficiency of your fireplace system. At Clean Sweeps of Michigan, we offer a number of relining options for our customers. For more information about our relining options and to schedule a chimney inspection to evaluate the condition of your chimney liner, contact us today!

Make Sure Your Chimney Is Relined Before Fall

The shorter days and cooler temperatures of fall are just around the corner! In anticipation of the change in seasons, many homeowners are once again getting their fireplaces and chimneys ready to use. If your chimney needs to be relined, now is the perfect time to have it done.

What does the chimney liner do?

Although it cannot be seen with the naked eye, the chimney liner is one of the most important features of your fireplace system. Chimney liners are “clay, ceramic, or metal conduit installed inside of a chimney, intended to contain the combustion products, direct them to the outside atmosphere, and protect the chimney walls from heat and corrosion.”

Chimney liners have one primary purpose: protecting surrounding building materials from fireplace buildup and heat transfer. Gas, smoke, and other byproducts of combustion created by a fire are extremely hot. Due to this, the chimney liner needs to contain this heat, as well as protect the surrounding building materials. This prevents house fires from occurring when the fireplace is in use. The National Bureau of Standards estimates that without a chimney liner, building materials surrounding the flue can catch fire. In fact, it can happen in as little as three hours, due to heat transfer when using the fireplace!

In addition to protecting against heat transfer, chimney liners also protect the rest of the flue against corrosive buildup. Caustic byproducts of combustion such as creosote can damage masonry; flue liners are uniquely designed to protect the bricks and mortar against these types of buildup.

Three types of chimney liners:

There are three main types of chimney liners that are used in homes. The type of liner your home needs will depend on: the type of fireplace you have, the fuel it burns, and the age of your fireplace system.

• Clay tile liners.
  They are an inexpensive, popular liner that is standard is most chimneys. However, they can be difficult to repair or replace. This is because they are constructed of individual refractory tiles. Due to this, relining a flue using a clay tile liner is often extremely difficult.
• Cast in place liners.
  These liners are created by pouring a special cement mixture directly into the flue, evenly coating the entire chimney. This can be helpful in stabilizing a damaged clay tile liner.
• Stainless steel liners.
  Provide unparalleled safety and durability. They are often used in homes with gas burning fireplaces due to their unique byproducts of combustion.

Does my chimney need to be relined?

Chimney relining is not a part of regular annual maintenance. It is typically recommended when the flue liner has been damaged, there are significant drafting or smoking issues, or the fireplace insert or fuel source has been changed.

If the chimney liner has been damaged, relining the chimney ensures you can still use your fireplace safely, without the worry of heat transfer to your home. Likewise, relining the flue can solve smoking issues caused by a too large or too small flue. Relining may also be recommended after switching fuel sources, particularly when switching between wood and gas.

The start of burning season is just around the corner! Make sure your fireplace is ready by having the chimney relined. Contact us at Clean Sweeps of Michigan today for more information on relining your chimney.