Chimney Liner Repair - Is it Time to Repair Yours?

What kind of chimney liner do you have and is it still in good condition? One of the best types of fireplace liner is a terracotta liner. This kind of liner can last upwards of 75 years. In time however, this liner will deteriorate and begin to crack and fail. Whether you have a terracotta liner or a lesser liner, it will eventually need to be replaced.

Once a chimney liner is damaged and begins to leak, this presents real dangers to you home and family. Carbon monoxide from the burning wood can begin to leak into you living areas instead of rising up and out of you chimney. Another danger with a deteriorated or cracked liner, is an increased potential for fire. Of course you want to avoid both of these dangers, so if any of these conditions exist a replacement or repair liner is needed.

You may wonder what are the options for repairing a chimney liner. As was mentioned above terracotta lining is the best kind of lining, however this route has a couple of large drawbacks. In order to be able to install a new terracotta lining, it will mean significant demolition to you existing fireplace. Typically, this kind of lining is built right into your fireplace.

Therefore, the old liner and some of the surrounding brick or stone have to be removed to make way for the new liner. This whole process takes a lot of time and can be very expensive. Another option is to use a stainless steel replacement liner.

These liners will have a smaller inside diameter than your existing chimney, but they are far cheaper and easier to replace than a terracotta liner. The stainless steel liners come in two main styles: flexible and rigid. Flexible liners are the cheapest and easiest to install. Rigid liners are sturdier and may last a little longer however they take more time and money to install.

You may also be wondering is this a job that I could do myself? Well, this depends on how experienced you are at do-it-yourself home repairs. Some who are in the business or repairing chimneys mention that it is a job that some could do especially if a flexible stainless steel liner is what is being used.

On the other hand, they recommend that a homeowner not try installing a rigid stainless steel liner. It is recommended that that be left to the professionals. While having to repair or replace your chimney liner is not an exciting prospect, it is an important maintenance and safety issue that all homeowners will want to give careful thought to.