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.

Now is the Perfect Time to Reline Your Chimney!

What sort of shape is your chimney liner in? Within your chimney system, the chimney liner is responsible for the brunt of the work. It keeps your home safe from the heat and smoke that travels up the chimney. It also ensures that air draws effectively through your fireplace and chimney. A failure of the chimney flue can jeopardize the function of your fireplace and put your home at risk. So if your chimney liner isn’t doing its job properly, now is the perfect time to reline your chimney!

The Importance of Your Chimney Liner

If your chimney liner isn’t in great shape, your chimney simply won’t function. A chimney liner that isn’t functioning can make your fireplace unpleasant to use or even put your home in danger. According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America, your chimney liner serves three main purposes:

• Protecting the building structure from the heat of the fireplace. A chimney structure on its own can’t contain the heat that travels up the chimney from the fireplace. The chimney liner serves to contain the heat from the fireplace so the extreme temperatures that travel up your chimney can’t damage or ignite the surrounding building structure.

• Protecting the chimney structure from fire byproducts. The soot and creosote that result from a burning fireplace are highly corrosive. If allowed to come into contact with the chimney structures, these byproducts would corrode and degrade the chimney structure over time. In addition, the chimney liner acts as a layer of protection for the chimney structure.

• Creating a proper draft for your fireplace. The size and height of your chimney liner matters. The flue that the liner creates is what determines how well your fireplace will draw in air for combustion and send smoke up the chimney. If your chimney liner isn’t the right size for your fireplace, the fire will burn less efficiently, and smoke will also find its way back into your home.

Relining Your Chimney

If your chimney liner isn’t functioning properly, your chimney will need to be relined to keep your home safe or improve the function of your chimney. Common problems include developed cracks or holes due to age and improperly sized liners for your hearth appliance. There are two primary ways for relining chimneys:

• Stainless steel chimney liners. One of the fastest ways to reline a chimney is with a stainless steel chimney liner. To reline the chimney, insert and secure into place a stainless steel liner that’s the right size for your chimney.

• Cerfractory sealant. For masonry chimney liners, a specialized cerfractor cement can be poured down into the chimney then smoothed into place with a specialized plug. As it’s smoothed down, the cement reseals the chimney liner, filling in any cracks, gaps or holes that have degraded the function of the liner.

If your chimney needs to be relined, spring is the perfect time to do it, and Chimney Care Co. help! By relining your chimney now, you can take advantage of lighter chimney service schedules to schedule your chimney service at your convenience. You also know that your chimney will be ready to keep your home safe and your fireplace drafting properly next fall. Call to schedule your appointment today!