Effects of A Damaged Chimney Liner

When your Chimney Specialist, Inc technician visits your home for an annual chimney inspection, they’ll always take a look at the condition of your liner. A damaged chimney liner poses several threats to your home. Prior to 1940, few chimneys had a liner. Congress enacted several laws requiring them due to the problems we’ll unpack today.

Less protection inside your home

Next time you run your dishwasher, put your hand on top of the countertop above it. Feel the heat? Now, imagine a fire several magnitudes hotter than that.

A chimney liner helps protect the inside of your home from the intense heat inside of your flue. Without a liner, or if your liner is damaged, the adjacent woodwork can catch fire within a matter of hours even without physically touching the firebox. The ambient heat itself is enough to start a fire.

Potential damage to your masonry

In addition, a damaged chimney liner can cause significant problems with the structural integrity of your masonry. Dangerous gasses containing acidic byproducts can penetrate the brick and mortar, and cause it to break down fast. If your chimney is leaning, it’s highly possible a damaged chimney liner is the culprit.

Risk of toxic gases

In addition, those same gasses along with toxic carbon monoxide can leak into your home with a damaged chimney liner. These silent killers are odorless and tasteless. With many homes still lacking a carbon monoxide detector, this is a recipe for disaster.

Inefficient energy

A damaged chimney liner can also affect the overall heating efficiency of your fireplace system. If the system doesn’t work as intended, creosote will build up exponentially faster than normal. As excessive creosote is one of the leading causes of household fires, this is a two-fold problem. First, you’ll spend more to heat your home. Second, those increased costs can inadvertently lead to creosote embers sparking a fire elsewhere in your home.

The two primary types of chimney liners

Once lawmakers mandated that all new furnaces have a chimney liner, manufacturers developed two primary types of liners. Although clay liners were an option for a while, it’s now obvious that those will deteriorate faster than other options.

Cast in place: This is the more expensive of the two options. During the chimney’s construction, masons use cement-like materials to build a permanent liner. This helps to make the chimney structure itself more stable.
Stainless steel: This is the more common of the two options. A stainless steel liner is a more economical option while still providing your home with the protection it needs.

We’ll repair your damaged chimney liner

No matter the age of your home or chimney system, we can fix your damaged chimney liner. We’ll start with an inspection and then let you know the best way to fix any problems we encounter.

If you suspect your liner is damaged, stop using your fireplace immediately. It’s better to book an inspection than to risk damage to your home or fireplace. Contact Chimney Specialist, Inc at (608) 929-4887 to book your appointment. You can contact us on our website to schedule your inspection.