Chimney Care Company's Blog

Does Your Chimney Liner Need To Be Insulated?

You’re sitting in front of your fire, ready for a romantic evening of getting to spend time with your loved one. Or maybe you’re finally going to be having that family night that you’ve been wanting to have, everyone is going to be home, and you’re looking forward to having a movie night, cozied up in front of a snapping fire. Or perhaps you’ve invited friends over for a game night on the coffee table, with a cheerful fire adding to the ambiance. One thing you’re probably not picturing for the evening is a smoke-filled room, with complaints of scratchy throats and watering eyes. That’s what your chimney flue is for, right? Guiding smoke up and out of the chimney. If there are problems with your flue liner, then you may experience smoke problems that you’re just not wanting.

The Reason for Chimney Liners

Your flue liner, or chimney liner, is an important part of your chimney’s anatomy for three main reasons. First, a correctly sized flue makes your chimney run more efficiently . The flue guides smoke through the chimney and out of the house, but did you know that air that helps with combustion is brought into the house through the flue as well? When this exchange takes place, it makes your chimney run correctly and your fire burn efficiently. A chimney liner that fits correctly will help ensure that this exchange is taking place and that your chimney is running as efficiently as possible.

Your chimney liner also protects the inside portions of your home that are close to your fireplace, keeping these areas from overheating and causing a fire to ignite. The brick and mortar on the inside of the chimney are protected from the chemicals in smoke that wear it away as well. Both of these things will protect your home from a chimney fire that could cause major structural damage.

Insulating Your Chimney Liner

Considering the important purposes that your chimney liner fulfills, you may ask yourself if there’s even more that can be done. There is something, and that’s to insulate your liner. If your chimney is located on an outside wall, insulation added around the liner will help keep the flue gases warmer. Not only this, but it will also stop condensation from forming on the liner, and it can also increase upward speed of the flue gases which also helps to increase the efficiency of your fireplace.

If your home doesn’t have a chimney liner, it’s important to think about adding one. When you call Chimney Care Co., if we notice that you don’t have a liner, we’ll recommend adding one. If you do have a liner and it’s cracked or damaged, we’ll recommend the necessary repair work to get it up to standards. We’ll also recommend insulating your chimney liner, especially if your chimney is on an outer wall. Don’t put off giving Chimney Care Co. a call for even a day longer! We’ll make sure your chimney liner is in excellent condition and will also make sure that everything else is working correctly so that you can have a safe, enjoyable winter of using your fireplace.

What is the state of your chimney flue?

Your chimney might appear to be in good shape from the outside, but what does it look like on the inside? Your chimney flue — the interior portion of your chimney — does the majority of the work exhausting your fireplace. It deals with extreme heat from your fireplace, moisture from outside and corrosive creosote and soot. All of those things can lead to a breakdown of your chimney flue liner. That’s especially concerning when you consider that it is your chimney flue that protects your home from the smoke, heat, and flames from your fireplace.

Understanding the state of your chimney flue

So how do you know what state your chimney flue is in? That requires an annual sweeping and inspection from a certified chimney professional. During your annual sweeping and inspection, your chimney sweep will look for signs that your chimney flue isn’t in ideal condition. If your chimney flue is cracked, crumbling or corroded, your chimney sweep will recommend a chimney relining to shore up your chimney and keep your home safe from the byproducts of your fireplace. A chimney relining also might be ordered if your chimney suffers from poor drafting caused by a chimney liner that isn’t properly sized for your fireplace or heating stove.

About chimney relining

The good news about chimney relining is that it is a relatively quick and simple process. There are two primary options for relining your chimney:

• Stainless steel chimney liner. If your existing chimney liner is failing, a stainless steel chimney liner can be inserted to your chimney. This option can be utilized for any type of chimney, but if your chimney currently has a prefabricated chimney liner, this will be the method used for relining your chimney flue.
• Cement chimney liner. If you have a masonry chimney flue liner, you have a second option for relining your chimney: a cement chimney liner. With this method, a foam plug sized to your chimney is lowered down the chimney on a winch. Next, a specialized cerfractory cement, which is formulated to stand up to the heat, smoke and flames from your fireplace, is poured down your chimney. The specially sized foam plug is then pulled slowly up your chimney flue, smoothing the cement into place. The cement fills any cracks or holes in your chimney, providing you with a safe, air-tight chimney liner.

Want to know the state of your chimney flue? Call the Chimney Care Co.

If you are unsure of the state of your chimney flue, or if you are due for your annual chimney sweeping and inspection, call the Chimney Care Co. Our certified chimney sweeps will clean and inspect the inside of your chimney flue to be sure that it is in good repair and keeping your home safe from smoke, flames, and heat. If a chimney relining is in order, the Chimney Care Co. can reline your chimney with a stainless steel chimney liner. Call to schedule your inspection now!

Masonry Repair To Your Chimney

Summer will soon be drawing to a close. Soon, homeowners will begin to prepare their fireplaces and chimneys for the fall. Have you noticed damage to your chimney? If your chimney sweep notices damage during your annual cleaning and inspection, you could be in store for some masonry chimney repair. Know that masonry does break down over time, even with the best care. Additionally, there are some common masonry repairs that are performed time and time again.

Tuckpointing

Tuckpointing, or repointing, is perhaps one of the most common masonry chimney repairs. The good news is that it’s an incredibly gratifying repair to have performed on your chimney. Not only does it restore the structural integrity of your chimney, but it also restores the overall appearance of your chimney. Tuckpointing involves removing damaged, crumbling mortar from in between the masonry joints of your chimney and repairing it with fresh mortar to strengthen the chimney structure.

Chimney Crown Repair

A chimney crown, the masonry top to your chimney, takes a lot of abuse. As the chimney crown protects the rest of the chimney from water, the crown itself comes into contact with precipitation. This can damage the crown’s masonry! On top of that, many chimney crowns were not properly constructed to start, allowing chimney leaks. They can also cause the chimney crown to break down prematurely. If your chimney crown is cracked, crumbly, or improperly constructed, you will be in need of a chimney crown repair.

Relining

Inside your chimney, the masonry flue tiles can crack or crumble. This can be caused from the extreme heat of your fireplace or from contact with moisture. Eventually, your chimney will need to be relined, either with a stainless steel chimney liner or with a specialized poured cement.

Firebox Reconstruction

Just like the tiles in your chimney liner, the bricks that line your firebox can crack or crumble from exposure to heat and moisture. If the cracks in your firebricks grow too wide, your firebox will need to be reconstructed so that it continues to protect your home from the fires built within.

Chimney Rebuild

Has your chimney has been neglected too long? If crumbling mortar and bricks weren’t replaced or cracks were left unattended, your chimney structure can begin to fail! A failing chimney structure can damage your overall home structure or leave your home open to the risk of a chimney fire. If your chimney structure has failed, you might require a complete or partial chimney rebuild.

If your chimney requires any of these repairs, or if your chimney is due for its annual sweeping and inspection, call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule your chimney today! We can spot and perform any needed masonry chimney repairs and have your chimney ready to operate safely this fall.

Extending the Life of Your Chimney

Extending the Life of Your Chimney

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to maintain your chimney so well, that it could last for decades? With regular maintenance, it is certainly possible. We will give you tips and ideas on how to get your chimney to perform better and to last for a very long time. Call Chimney Care today.

Water is your chimney’s biggest enemy. A chimney cap can divert water away and keep your performance high.

The biggest secret in extending the life of your chimney is to make sure that you maintain the vital parts inside and protect it from water and from different kinds of obstructions. Maintenance includes regular cleaning and also repairing or replacing parts if the need arises.  Sure it might cost quite a bit, but anyone would rather be safe than sorry when these minor damages cause major accidents.

First off, note that water is one of the biggest enemies against your chimney because it slowly, but surely, destroys the structure of the chimney. That’s why one of the major keys to extending the life of your chimney is to keep water out. Here are some of our recommendations:

Waterproofing

Have one of our chimney specialists apply a waterproofing sealant in the brick walls. This will prevent leaks and moisture from accumulating inside. Because where there is moisture, molds can inhabit and this will be a whole new health hazard for your home.

Chimney Cap and Chimney Crown

Having a chimney cap installed is very helpful. It will prevent animals and things from entering and destroying the inside of your chimney.  The chimney crown’s function is to seal off the mortar bricks at the very top of the chimney so water can’t seep in through them and cause the bricks to slowly crumble.

Chimney Relining

One of the many parts that need ultimate protection is the chimney flue and liner. If in cases when damage has already been done, and the flue or flue liner already has cracks and holes, this needs to be fixed right away so that no backflow will happen. Backflow is when the smoke will enter your home instead of passing through your chimney. This is both unpleasant and very dangerous because everyone inside the home will be inhaling toxic byproducts of combustion, including the deadly gas, carbon monoxide. Chimney relining will solve this issue.

Extend the life of your chimney with Chimney Care. We have been proudly serving areas in the Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, and in Kentucky. Call us to learn more.