Why Relining Your Chimney Is Worth It

It’s time for a short pop quiz! Are you ready? It’s a simple yes or no question: should all chimneys have an internal liner? If you answered “Yes,” then you answered correctly! Every functional chimney has one, and sometimes those liners wear down after a while. Let’s take a few moments to look at why relining your chimney is worth it.

What is a chimney liner?

Your chimney flue is the internal passage leading from your firebox to the outside. Within it, lining the walls of your masonry is another structure: your chimney liner.

What does it do?

Simple enough, right? In other home-based products, such as your InstantPot, the big stainless-steel pot that you cook in is technically a liner. It protects your food from the heating element. Without it, your food would damage the element and potentially start a fire (not to mention create a massive mess).

Likewise, your chimney liner protects your home from the process of using your fireplace. The typical fire in your firebox can reach temperatures as high as 1,500 degrees. Surrounding your fireplace are highly flammable materials, such as wood, plaster, and drywall. Your chimney liner protects your home from this heat while both directing smoke upward out of your home and solidifying the structural integrity of your masonry.

Why relining your chimney is worth it

Depending on the age of your home, you probably have a clay tile within your flue. Even if it lacks damage, there are four big reasons why relining your chimney is worth it. Those are safety, efficiency, value, and ventilation.

• Safety: As mentioned, your liner protects your home from the high temperatures associated with burning a fire. Relining your chimney keeps you and your loved ones safe.
• Efficiency: This might be an unexpected reason why relining your chimney is worth it, but as it turns out, a relined chimney can improve the operational efficiency of your HVAC system.
• Value: If you’re planning to sell your home soon, a chimney that has been relined not only helps to extend the life of your chimney, but it can also improve the value of your home.
• Ventilation: Moisture is a major problem with chimneys and relining your chimney can improve its ventilation — which, in turn, reduces moisture concerns.

The types of chimney liners

In years gone by, there was one primary type of chimney liner: clay tile. Over time, these are prone to deterioration, including cracking, chipping, and dislodging. When damage like this occurs, it means that those nearby areas of your home are at risk of causing a fire.

In most newer constructions today, our Chimney Specialists technicians are seeing more and more stainless-steel liners during our annual sweeps and inspections. They’re of higher quality and have a shelf life far longer than clay tile. A mid-tier option is a concrete liner, though it also has some of the similar drawbacks of a clay tile liner.

From relining your chimney to other repairs, we can help!

Relining your chimney is worth it for several reasons, but that’s not the only type of maintenance a chimney may need throughout the year. If it’s time for your annual sweep and inspection or you’re having other problems, let us know. You can schedule an appointment with Chimney Specialists Inc by calling us at 608-929-4887 or sending us a message via our contact form.