What to Know About Your Chimney Liner with Facts

After installing their liner kit, many homeowners don't consider the idea of having their chimney regularly cleaned or checked for maintenance purposes. Well, if you're one of those homeowners, that's not good and you should call a chimney sweep immediately, but we digress. Of course, having a home with a beautiful rustic fireplace that you can light during the winter is a beautiful thing to have, but that's only if you take care of it - otherwise plenty of problems ensue.

While your chimney has several components, we're going to specifically look at your chimney's liner and some facts about it that you may need to know. Now, if you own an older home with a fireplace or heating stove, you're probably already aware of the importance of routinely checking your fireplace in between seasons, but we're going to go over it anyways.

Chimney Liner Facts

• Not all chimney's have liners.

  Unless your home was built before 1940, your chimney most likely has a liner, however if your home was built before that time, you probably have a masonry chimney that was not made with a liner. As long as your chimney is not in possession of a clay tile liner, you should be able to have a stainless steel chimney liner installed. Stainless steel chimney liners meet all the criteria mapped out by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency).

• There are certain reasons that require your liner to be replaced.

  If your chimney liner is either cracked, broken, not present to begin with, or damaged in any way, the NFPA requires that you have it replaced. If your chimney liner is damaged, you're putting yourself at risk for toxic fumes entering your home that the liner would otherwise push out towards the top of the chimney.

• Only allow professionals to fix your chimney liner.

  Chimneys are more complex that you may think and if something isn't installed properly, you're risking your health as well as your families. Many homeowners choose to have their clay liner replaced with a stainless steel liner, but even so, you want to have a qualified professional do the job.

• Stainless steel liners aren't expensive.

  This is actually the most popular, safe, and affordable chimney liner option. As long as your chimney isn't difficult to access, the installation and cost of the parts isn't that much of an investment, plus it'll pay off in the long run.

• Have your chimney inspected annually.

  If you're using your chimney to vent a wood or coal stove, or a fireplace, you want to have it inspected by a professional once a year. If you smell some type of gas that's unidentifiable, or if you've experienced a house fire, you want to have someone inspect your chimney immediately.