When Is It Time to Replace Your Chimney Liner?

This isn’t a question most homeowners ask all the time, but it’s one they need to know the answer to. The liner inside your chimney is a critical component that allows the chimney and fireplace system to work safely and efficiently. When it’s time to replace it, you don’t want to put it off.

American Chimney & Fireplace of Louisville, KY, would like to share some helpful information about chimney liners and the signs that tell you it’s time to have yours replaced.

Chimney liners 101

In the “early” days of chimneys, none of them were built with protective liners. Today, in most jurisdictions in the U.S., chimneys are required by law to have proper liners.
Chimney liners found in most American homes are made of:

• Stainless steel
• Clay tile
• A poured-in-place compound

All three types of liners accomplish two very important jobs:

1. Provide a smooth, correctly sized flue to efficiently draft smoke and dangerous combustion gases from your fireplace
2. Protect the home and the interior chimney masonry from flames, excessive heat, acidic substances and smoke

Chimney liner lifespans

A well-built clay tile or poured-in-place liner can last as long as 50 years with proper maintenance along the way. Stainless steel chimney liners typically last from 15 to 20 years. But several things can affect the lifespan.

Chimney fires

A chimney fire can destroy parts of a liner, no matter how old it is.

Creosote

If allowed to build up and remain in contact with a chimney liner, creosote can degrade the liner’s surface with naturally occurring acids.

Materials and workmanship

When poorly built with inferior materials, a chimney liner can fail long before it has reached its expected lifespan.

How to tell if your liner needs to be replaced

Obviously, it’s not easy to do a good visual inspection of the liner inside your chimney. But it is easy for chimney service technicians because they have the right tools and training.

You should arrange for annual inspections of your chimney liner and all other areas and parts of your chimney. A licensed inspection can spot early signs of liner damage that you may be able to resolve with basic repairs.

When a chimney liner has significant damage, there will be signs you can’t miss. Here are some of the most common.

• Chunks of the liner are falling into the firebox
• Carbon monoxide monitors are going off when the fireplace is in use
• Smoke is drafting sluggishly or backing up
• There’s a smoky smell in the attic or other spaces adjacent to the chimney

Note that the last three signs above can be caused by problems other than a damaged chimney liner.

Chimney liner replacement

If your chimney liner needs to be replaced, there are two primary options, neither of which involves building a new chimney:
1. Repair existing chimney damage and then install a new, correctly sized stainless-steel liner.
2. Have the chimney flue completely recoated with the HeatShield process, which adds a strong, protective layer on top of the original liner.

The best option will be determined by what kind of liner you currently have and the extent of the damage. Your chimney inspector will help you make this decision.
Call your Kentucky chimney liner experts
Since 2007, the Chimney Guys has provided chimney relining services throughout the greater Louisville, KY, region and in parts of southern Indiana. If you know – or suspect – that your chimney liner is having problems, call us or get in touch by using our contact form.