Protect Your Home with a Chimney Liner
Probably the most essential fireplace accessory that will keep your home and family safe is a chimney liner. A fire in a wood burning or gas fireplace creates high levels of heat and lethal gases. These combustion products are capable of causing damage to your fireplace, chimney and home, and can even make you sick.
A chimney liner is a metal, ceramic or clay insert that protects the chimney from these byproducts of a burning fire. Additionally, it guards the walls of the chimney from the effects of corrosion and heat. A damaged or overheated chimney can lead to the combustion of any wood building materials in its proximity.
Testing has revealed that unlined chimneys are very hazardous. In the US, homes containing a fireplace that were built after 1940 must have a chimney liner, and they must be replaced if broken or cracked.
There are three basic kinds of chimney liner:
1. The traditional material for chimney liners is clay tiles. This is a cost effective choice; it’s also easy to get and performs perfectly well in a properly maintained fireplace chimney.
2. To repair or upgrade an already existing chimney, metal chimney liners made of aluminum or stainless steel are the most common choice. The advantages of a metal liner are that it is highly durable and very safe if the installation is done properly.
3. A cast-in-place liner is another possible choice. This is a lightweight product made from a material resembling cement. Following installation in the chimney, it will provide a seamless, insulated route for the release of all the byproducts of a burning fire. An older chimney will benefit structurally from this kind of permanent liner, and it is compatible with various types of fuel.
When replacing their chimney liners, most people nowadays select stainless steel because it’s much simpler to install than clay tiles. It comes in two types: stiff or flexible.
Most people choose to have their new chimney liner professionally installed. But you can save some money by purchasing a kit which comes complete with detailed installation instructions. The kits usually include all the required accessories and attachments to get the job done.
If your older home has a fireplace, it’s critical to get it checked out by a professional to be certain it meets safety requirements. A damaged chimney can be a serious household hazard, particularly if the liner is not installed correctly. And so there’s no good reason to avoid installing this critical fireplace accessory, especially since there are so many simple, cost effective means of addressing the problem.
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