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Time to Reline Your Chimney?

Relining Your Chimney

Behind-the-scenes players don’t always get their due praise, and that’s definitely true when it comes to chimney systems. Aside of the very top of the chimney, you don’t really see your flue liner, but it’s by far one of the most important parts of your chimney system, contributing both to improved safety and improved performance.

When we get service calls for drafting problems, often enough the culprit is the chimney liner. And that’s just one of the problems that comes up with a chimney liner isn’t able to do its job.

The Quick Version Of Why Your Chimney Liner Is So Important:

Your flue liner acts a shield that protects the exterior masonry of your chimney.

Your flue liner acts a shield that protects the exterior masonry of your chimney.

The chimney liner helps insulate the internal workings of your chimney structure — and the combustible materials behind the chimney — from the high heat produced in your firebox. The more heat that gets to those materials, the more chance you have of wood drying out and potentially catching fire. With a strong liner providing a buffer, you’re drastically reducing that possibility.

Your liner also creates a smooth, smoke-tight surface that encourages proper draft. A craggy surface impedes flow, and gaps and cracks act like a split in a drinking straw — no matter how much upward draft you apply, the performance just isn’t there.

A flue that isn’t sized correctly to vent the appliance it’s attached to won’t work correctly either — appliances are made to work with a specifically sized flue. One that’s too small won’t allow the proper draft, and one that’s too big can lead to more smoke and more creosote.

So, when your liner is damaged or isn’t properly doing its job, your chimney system’s performance and safety suffer, in a big way.

Why You Might Reline Your Chimney

When Jack Pixley Chimney technicians recommend relining your chimney, it’s usually for one of these reasons:

– Your clay tile liner has cracks or gaps that are affecting your chimney’s ability to draft properly, and creating a potential fire hazard.

– You’ve had or are having a new appliance installed that makes it necessary for your flue to be resized, by installing a new stainless steel liner.

– Your historic fireplace doesn’t have a liner at all, leaving your chimney system performing poorly (and seriously unsafe).

If you’re having draft or smoking issues, or other performance problems with your chimney system, call Jack Pixley Sweeps. We can inspect your system. and see if a relining — or another kind of repair — will fix the issue!

Clean Chimney = Clean Air

A fireplace can be a beautiful centerpiece to a home, but the overwhelming consequences caused by not having routine maintenance done to your chimney are not so pleasant.  It is recommended that you get a professional chimney sweep and basic inspections  done once every year.  Most homeowners do not understand that if they do not follow through with these recommendations, it could cause bigger issues later.  One of the things impacted could be the air quality in your home.

Taking preventative measures like annual chimney inspections can save you lots of money and headache in the long run.

Taking preventative measures like annual chimney inspections can save you lots of money and headache in the long run.

Many of the common and easy to fix problems start with the simple chimney sweep.  The first is that until removed, creosotes and other particles will continue to build up inside of the chimney.  This could lead to a draft problems by creating blockages.  When you have a draft problem, the smoke from the fire cannot leave the chimney properly and then is forced back into your home.  This air will contain chemicals such as Carbon Monoxide that could potentially be harmful to you and your family.  In rare occasions, too much CO can lead to fatalities. Using different types of wood can also be helpful because they may produce less creosotes than others, so make sure you do all your research when buying firewood.  Even though you may enjoy the smoky, outdoors smell, that is not a good thing to have in the home because it contains many of the particles found in creosotes.  Make sure you have doors on the front of your fireplace to help air from flowing back into the room, and that the room is large enough to handle whatever may come back.

Another problem with not fixing problems in the chimney is that if you have cracks or places that water can collect mold can begin to form.  This can cause a few spots, but if it spreads it can even go as far into the walls of your home and other parts of the foundation.  These particles could then get to the vents and released into the home, not to mention the threat to the structural integrity of your home. Mold can cause many different kinds of health problems and is particularly bad for those with asthma or other respiratory issues. Reduce potential indoor pollution today by scheduling a certified sweep from Jack Pixley to alleviate these worries.