Chimney Liners

Chimney Liners: A Simple Fix for a Host of Fireplace and Chimney Problems in Sauk Trail Beach

Yearly chimney and fireplace inspections do more than keep your Sauk Trail Beach fireplace operating well. They also catch potential safety or structural hazards … before they become dangerous.

A fairly common revelation during inspections of masonry chimneys is the detection of cracked or damaged clay flue tiles. These tiles line the interior vertical channel that carries smoke up and out. The damage is usually from sudden temperature changes the tiles endure. When fires are lit, a blast of heat warms cold tiles very quickly. Over time, the interaction takes a toll.

Cracks in the tiles, even minor ones, can leak smoke and gases into the chimney cavity and, potentially, the Sauk Trail Beach home. The situation can’t be ignored.

Fortunately, a cost-effective solution exists to replacing or reconstructing damaged flue tiles: a stainless steel chimney liner. Butler Chimneys, the top chimney sweep company in Sauk Trail Beach, has installed hundreds of liners in the local area.

Attached to the upper opening of a fireplace, a chimney flue liner is essentially a round tube running the length of the chimney. It transfers smoke and gases all the way to the chimney cap, where they are vented outdoors. 

Chimney liner installation is typically a one-day project for Butler Chimneys. Flue tiles inside the chimney are broken out. The stainless liner for chimneys is lowered from the cap, and attached to the fireplace piping.

A new flue liner has a lifetime warranty, usually on condition that the fireplace and chimney be inspected annually. It’s a true “out of sight, out of mind” remedy to a variety of other fireplace issues that can arise - potentially necessitating far more costly repairs.

How do you detect when a chimney liner might be required? A giveaway is noticing efflorescence – a buildup of white, chalky powder – on a chimney’s exterior.

This indicator usually forms when an appliance(s) – such as a furnace or water heater – vents into the chimney. If flue tiles are cracked or damaged, moisture and gases from the appliance(s) can escape into the chimney cavity. They slowly eat away the chimney’s masonry. Efflorescence appears outside as bricks and mortar break down.

If you spot efflorescence, the advisable move is to contact Butler Chimneys without hesitation. Once a chimney structure breaks down to a certain point, remedies get far more complicated (and costly).

Chimneys might appear simple. Truth is, they contain vital systems that depend on a reliable surrounding structure to work properly. A slight malfunction can put life and home in peril. A chimney liner can address the issues – and line up your Sauk Trail Beach home for better days ahead.