When Relining a Chimney, Heatshield® Might be the Answer
For many years, homeowners had to make some difficult decisions when it came to relining their clay or terracotta chimney flues, due to the fact that replacement was pretty much the only option. However, there is now a product on the market we can use to repair these types of flues that is economical, reliable and less time-intensive than a replacement and it’s called HeatShield®.
A Little Bit of History
There are several things that cause your chimney liner to break down. One is the buildup of creosote. If you think about the liner as a vein, creosote acts much like cholesterol attaching to the interior of a vein where there might be a tear or imperfection. That small bit is sticky and as other cholesterol (creosote) passes by, it tends to attach to the small bit and in time you have a blocked artery. This is very much the case for creosote attached to the flue.
Unlike your veins and arteries, we can sweep the chimney every year and take the creosote out of your chimney system. At the same time, it is beneficial for us to conduct a level 2 chimney inspection and put a camera scope up through the flue to see any damage that might be a part of the problem. Once we have been able to see what’s going on in the interior of the system, we can see if there is any damage.
If Damaged, What are the Choices?
Of course, if there is little or no damage to the flue, then everything should be good. However, if there is damage, then we will take detailed pictures of it and go over the options. We do recommend applying the HeatShield® product for those liners that can be repaired because it has a 20-year transferable warranty and, if you ever sell your property, this is a great selling feature!
There are times the damage is just too far gone to do any repairs and the liner has to be replaced for your appliance to work properly. In those situations, we recommend replacing it with a stainless steel chimney liner that has a lifetime warranty, as long as a certified technician installs it, which is another reason we have all of our technicians certified and why you should never use a technician that isn’t certified.
5 Most Common Problems That Lead to Chimney Relining
- Eroding liners
- Deteriorating or missing mortar in liner joints
- Gaps in flue tiles
- Flaking or spalled liners or flue tiles
- Split and cracked tiles
Potential Problems if Damaged Liner Is Not Repaired or Replaced
- Gas and smoke escapes through the gaps and cracked tiles and enters your home
- Sparks escape through the gaps and cracked tiles and can potentially catch your home on fire
- Creosote is allowed to build up and can cause a foul odor to back-fill into your home or potentially catch your chimney on fire
Every one of these issues is dangerous and will put your family at risk. That is why we recommend that, if you unable to make a necessary liner repair or replacement, to not use your wood or gas fireplace or stoves until you can make the repairs. Using an appliance that is damaged is just not worth the risk and we want you and your family to be safe, over everything else.
Call Santa’s Friend Chimney Service if you are behind on cleaning or inspection of your chimney system or think you may have some issues with the flue. If you have dust or small particles of clay falling into the firebox, you need to call sooner than later.
A leaky chimney is one of several problems that may mean you need a chimney to be repaired. Be sure to have trained professionals like Santa’s Friend to do this important work.
