Installing hundreds of Fireplace liners every year, we are the industry’s expert! The chimney flue is the passageway that goes through the chimney, carrying heat and by-products of combustion safely out of your home. Over time the original linings (mostly made of clay) fail and must be relined. This passage way must be lined with an approved material to ensure that the heat from your fireplace is venting properly through your chimney. Gas and oil appliances (including; furnace, boilers, and/or water heaters) need to be properly venting out of your home; an unlined or cracked lining can leak gases back into your home.
After properly evaluating your individual home’s needs, we will be able to ensure you with the proper assessment. We use the highest quality of stainless steel that comes with a lifetime warranty.
CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE ON FIREPLACE RELINING AND ALL OTHER CHIMNEY NEEDS!
What Is A Chimney Flue Liner?
The flue of your chimney is the passageway inside the chimney structure that carries the byproducts of combustion up and out of the home. Most chimneys built post 1920’s are lined with a clay flue liner. Clay flue tiles, stacked on top of each other with a high temp mortar applied between each clay flue tile. While these tiles provide an excellent venting structure for your fireplace, there is a life expectancy of approximately 50 years, with regular and routine maintenance.
When these tile structures degrade with age, crack, experience high heat events (chimney fires), and the mortar between the tiles begins to fall out, our CSIA Certified Chimney Technicians will often recommend a reline of the chimney flue system with stainless steel liner.
What To Expect From A Fireplace Relining:
When relining the fireplace, we take into account the size of the firebox as well as the length of the chimney run to determine the size liner needed to properly vent your fireplace. If needed, the clay flue tiles are removed to be able to install the appropriate size lining system and insulation necessary. Stainless steel fireplace liner is run from the top of the smoke chamber, to the top of the chimney. Stainless steel fireplace liners are insulated with either a poured chimney insulation, a wrapped chimney insulation or lining is manufactured and installed pre-insulated. The liner is then sealed with a 2000 degree rated mortar to the smoke chamber, and if the smoke chamber is corbeled, it is then parged smooth to allow smoke and gasses to flow into the liner seamlessly. By parging the smoke chamber it allows the gasses and smoke to flow up the chimney without cooling down too much, which assists in discouraging the build up of creosote on the walls of the smoke chamber, and interior of the lining system. More often than not, the interior damper mechanism needs to be removed to properly seal the smoke chamber, so Pratt’s Chimney will install a top sealing energy efficient damper system, with cage surround.
All stainless steel lining systems installed by Pratt’s Chimney, come paired with a limited lifetime warranty that is one time transferable in the sale of the home.
Firebox/Smoke Chamber Repair
Give our office a call to schedule your free estimate on your Firebox & Smoke Chamber Repairs!
Masonry Firebox:
Masonry fireplaces are constructed with firebrick and high temp mortar, to build the interior of the firebox structure. With age and use it is normal wear and tear for the joints in the fireplace and the firebrick themselves, to start to degrade. When you discover loose or deteriorated mortar joints/firebrick, cracks greater then 1/16th of an inch in width, it should be assessed for tuckpointing, brick replacement, or rebuild.
Prefabricated Firebox:
If you have a prefabricated fireplace, your firebox is constructed of 4 panels, (floor, back, left and right side.) Each panel is able to be removed, and replaced with either a manufacturer listed panel, or a custom cut-to fit panel. These factory built panels do crack under certain conditions.
You may notice hairline cracks in the panels, which is often caused by the heating/cooling process. The panels expand as they heat and contract as they cool. You may notice gaping around the panel vs. the panels touching which allows for this process to occur without causing damage to the panels themselves.
Larger cracks in your panels can be caused by impact from logs being thrown into the firebox. Too large of a fire being built, causing excessive heat to be applied to the panels. Even quick cooling or “Thermal Shock” from applying water to put out a fire/embers. Once the cracks reach a width greater than 1/16th of an inch (approximately the width of a dime) it is time to have the panels inspected and recommended repair completed.
Smoke Chamber:
Located above the firebox, your smoke chamber is what funnels the smoke and gasses from your fireplace into the lining system of your chimney. Often these smoke chambers are constructed of brick, in a step formation (corbeled) to create the transitional space. Unfortunately when the smoke chamber is not parged smooth, it allows the smoke and gasses to cool within the smoke chamber area before it makes its way up the chimney. This causes the bi-products of combustion (creosote) to form on the walls of the smoke chamber and flue system at a greater rate. Creosote, being highly combustible, is the cause of the majority of Chimney Fires or High Heat Events we diagnose.
The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) recommends that all inner surfaces of the smoke chamber be parged smooth with an insulating refractory mortar. (11.2.1.13)