Your chimney system is made up of several important components, including the liner. In order for your chimney to work efficiently and safely, all of these components need to be in good condition. Your chimney liner is so essential to the safe functioning of your fireplace and chimney that modern building codes and standards require that a liner be included in every newly constructed chimney. Why is the chimney liner so important? According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), chimney liners serve three purposes: to protect your home from the extremely high temperatures produced by fires, to protect the bricks and mortar of your chimney from the corrosive byproducts of combustion, and to provide a correctly sized flue to your heating appliance. To put it even more simply, your chimney liner can protect you from breathing in carbon monoxide. If your liner is cracked, that toxic gas can leak into your home. At Blue Ridge Chimney Services, we are often asked when chimneys should be relined, and there are a few reasons why you would need a new chimney liner. We would like to tell you about these reasons so you can know when you should contact us about installing a new liner.
You moved into an older house with an unlined chimney
Over our years of working on chimneys in the Shenandoah Valley area, Blue Ridge Chimney Services has come across chimneys on historic homes that were built without a liner. This is quite common in homes that were built 100 years ago because building codes did not require that liners be included in chimneys back then. However, current building standards do require chimney liners, so if you are living in an older home with an unlined chimney, your house does not meet safety codes. We can easily install a new stainless steel liner that will serve all of the important functions necessary, and your home will pass any type of codes inspection.
Your liner is cracked or damaged in some other way
One of the most important reasons to have your chimney inspected is to look for damage, including damage to the liner. Our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps can tell if your liner, whether it is clay tile or stainless steel, has any signs of cracking or other damage that would cause it to be unsafe to use. We recommend replacing damaged chimney liners of any type with the HomeSaver UltraPro stainless steel liner for its durability and lifetime warranty.
You are updating your old fireplace with a new insert
When you install a new fireplace insert into your old fireplace opening, you will most likely need a new stainless steel liner installed to give your new insert a flue that is properly matched in size. Your old masonry chimney is generally too large for these new heating appliances, and if you install an insert into a too-large chimney, you will experience draft problems and other issues.
To be sure your new fireplace insert works as efficiently and as safely as it can, Blue Ridge Chimney Services can install a new stainless steel liner that will be properly sized to your new insert.If any of these situations apply to your chimney and you live around Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, or the surrounding areas, contact us at Blue Ridge Chimney Services today. We will be happy to schedule an appointment to install a new chimney liner that will make your fireplace and chimney system safe and efficient.