Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

Why You Should Have Your Chimney Relined

Why do people line things? Usually it’s to add a layer of protection or reinforcement to the item you’re lining. For example, adding an underskirt to a dress or shirt to give it more body and sturdiness. Linings can also protect what you’re trying to install. If you’re doing some landscaping, you can put a lining down over the ground so that weeds don’t grow among the new landscaping. However, did you know that your chimney has a liner? This is a very important piece of the makeup of a chimney. Not to mention, one that often gets taken for granted!

Chimney Liner

A chimney’s purpose is to direct the smoke up and out of your house. The problem is that the uneven, rough texture of your brick and mortar chimney can actually catch the small particles that are in the smoke. This causes a buildup of creosote. It can easily eat away at the mortar of the chimney, which in turn will impact the stability of your chimney’s structure. The way to protect this is to have a chimney liner installed. If your house was built within the last eighty years, it will already have a chimney liner installed. Do you have an older home built before the 1940’s? If so, it’s very possible that your chimney was built without a liner. If you own an older home, it’s important to know whether there is a chimney liner present, and, if not, to have one installed.

Correctly Sized

If you know that your chimney is lined, another concern might be that it isn’t correctly sized. When your chimney liner was installed, it should have been sized accurately. This is to provide an efficient path for your wood burning appliance to work correctly. If it wasn’t, you may be facing the possibility of excessive creosote buildup or excessive production of carbon monoxide. Both of these can create hazardous situations!

Cracks in the Clay Lining

Many times, clay liner tiles have been used as chimney lining materials. This is great! Why? These tiles can withstand the heat from your fires. Having said that, however, they can also become cracked over time. Other materials can also be used, such as stainless steel or other types of metals. Stainless steel is the most often recommended; because of the durability of this material, stainless steel chimney liners often come with a lifetime guarantee!

Have Your Chimney Relined

Does your chimney not have a liner? Are the clay liner tiles have cracked? Was your liner sized incorrectly in the first place? If you said yes to any of these questions, you will want to have your chimney relined. The best way to determine the condition of your chimney liner? Have your chimney inspected by the CSIA certified technicians at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service! Once they’ve given your chimney a thorough inspection, they’ll be able to suggest the best method and materials for relining your chimney. They’ll offer convenient, friendly service and are dedicated to looking out for the safety of their customers.

By Justin Perkins on July 7th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

Chimney Relining

Your chimney system consists of several components that are necessary for it to function properly and safely. Included in these components is your chimney liner, which has several important purposes, such as protecting your home from the extremely high temperatures that are produced within your chimney. Unfortunately, chimney liners do not last forever and can suffer damage over the years that can cause your chimney to be unsafe to use. If you live in an older home with a masonry chimney, your liner may not be in the best condition and could be in need of repair. At Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, we offer a couple of chimney relining options that will restore the safety and efficiency of your chimney. We would like to tell you more about our chimney relining services by answering some frequently asked questions we have received from our customers.

Chimney Relining - Jackson MS - Santas Friend Chimney Service

Why is a chimney liner so important?

According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA), chimney liners serve three crucial functions. They prevent your home from catching on fire from the high temperatures produced when a fire is burning. They protect the masonry materials of your chimney from the corrosive byproducts of combustion. They also allow your chimney to function efficiently and safely by providing a correctly sized flue for your heating appliance.

What kind of chimney liner do I have?

There are three main types of chimney liners: clay tile, stainless steel, and cast-in-place. If you have a masonry chimney, you most likely have a clay tile liner, but it is possible to have another type. Our CSIA-certified chimney technicians can inspect your chimney to find out exactly what type of liner you have as well as to examine its condition.

What chimney relining services does Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offer?

To reline clay tile liners, we offer HeatShield, which is economical, reliable, and much less time-intensive than constructing a new clay tile liner. Also known as a cast-in-place liner, HeatShield is a specially formulated sealant that restores the integrity of your clay tile liner by filling in the cracks and gaps. Our chimney technicians have been trained on how to apply HeatShield and know exactly how to apply the cerfractory sealant to repair your liner and make your chimney safe to use again. You can trust us to restore your clay tile liner with HeatShield, which comes with a 20-year material warranty.

If you do not have a clay tile liner, we can reline your chimney with a durable stainless steel liner, which has a lifetime warranty. Durable and strong, a stainless steel liner is guaranteed to protect you from hazardous situations, including chimney fires and carbon monoxide leaks. This type of liner also allows us to create a correctly sized flue if you are converting your old fireplace to a new insert. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service has years of experience with installing stainless steel chimney liners, and we will ensure your chimney will function efficiently and safely.

Want to know more about our chimney relining services? Contact us at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to talk to our staff about your options.

By Jim Robinson on January 8th, 2016 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment

Your Chimney Liner’s Job

Your Chimney Liner Is An MVP

A chimney liner’s name doesn’t necessarily accurately convey the heavy lifting it does, or its supremely important role in your chimney system. We usually think of liners as add-ons — the shelf liners in our cabinets make things look a little cleaner, our jacket liners make things a little more comfortable, but it is different with chimney liners. If the chimney industry was going to be a little more clear about the importance of the chimney liner, we might call them chimney suits of armor for their protective properties, or chimney foremen for how they make the system work well.

The Chimney liner defends the exterior of your chimney wall from too much heat.

The Chimney liner defends the exterior of your chimney wall from too much heat.

Overall, from the vantage point here at Santa’s Friend Chimney Service, a clean, strong chimney liner is definitely an MVP.

What Your Chimney Liner Does

If we were to boil it down, the chimney liner was developed to solve three key problems with chimney systems: the heavy wear-and-tear of heat and moisture on masonry; the susceptibility of building materials behind that masonry to heat and moisture; and the impeded draft that comes with inconsistencies in damaged flues.

First, your chimney liner provides protection. Whether your liner is made of terra cotta clay or stainless steel, it stands up to heat from your fire and potential moisture intrusion, allowing the masonry that makes up your chimney itself to stand stronger, longer. It also provides a needed extra layer of protection between the flammable beams and building materials in your walls behind the chimney, lessening the chances of a fire hazard.

Protection is just part of the chimney liner’s role, though. The liner also contributes immensely to performance, and draft. Air needs to flow smoothly up and out of your flue for the chimney to properly vent. If you think of your flue kind of like a straw, you’ll get a sense of why “smoothly” is so key. If you try to use a cracked straw, the pressure necessary to draw up becomes near impossible to create. The same kind of thing happens when cracks or gaps are present in your flue. A smooth, properly sized and intact flue liner creates a surface that encourages draft, and makes your chimney work more efficiently. (That’s part of why it’s so important to maintain your flue liner too, and to have damaged flue liners repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

A Flue Liner’s Size Is Important

A damaged clay tile liner is often the reason why Santa’s Friend Chimney Service technicians end up relining a chimney. But damage isn’t the only thing we look for when we’re inspecting a chimney system. A chimney needs to have a clean and intact liner in order to function correctly, but that liner also needs to be the right size. A flue that’s too big or too small for the appliance it’s venting will result in poor draft, increased byproducts and other issues.

To resize an incorrectly sized flue, we’ll install a stainless steel liner. These are great products that will last through years and years of use (when installed by a professional, most carry lifetime warranties).

If you have any questions about what a flue liner does, or what the process of relining or liner repair is like, Santa’s Friend is always willing to help. Give us a call with any questions, or to book an appointment with our experienced technicians!

By Jim Robinson on December 23rd, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Common Repairs to Chimney Liners

Common Chimney Flue Liner Repairs

 Although many people have chimneys in their homes, most do not know much about the parts that comprise them. One of the most important parts of a functioning chimney is the flue liner. This is a layer, usually made of clay, metal, or ceramic tile that covers the inside of the chimney. Its function is to protect the inner wall of the chimney as well as to contain combustible materials while sending them out of the home. Keeping the chimney flue liner in good working condition is essential to having a safe chimney.

Prior to the 1940’s, it was not mandatory for homes to have liners in their chimneys. This is why tragic house fires were so common in the middle part of the Twentieth Century. Someone who is living in a home that was built before the 1940’s should have their chimney inspected and make sure that it has a liner to begin with. If it does not, one must be installed before the fireplace can be safely used.

Chimney Liners Prevent Fires - Jackson MS - Santa's Friend Chimney Service

Chimney Liners Prevent Fires – Jackson MS – Santa’s Friend Chimney Service

In most cases, the flue liner needs to be replaced or repaired because of normal wear and tear from years of use. In this case, the liner will simply start to wear away or, in the case of an older tile liner, it will begin to crack. This is dangerous because the liner will not be able to contain hazardous gasses the way that it is supposed to. These materials may be allowed to ignite, causing a devastating chimney fire.

Combustible gasses themselves will eventually take their toll on the liner, which is another thing a professional inspection should catch. When this happens, the connection between the liner and the wall of the chimney weakens, causing it to become loose. Although the cause is different, this creates more or less the same effect as an eroding liner. It can be extremely unsafe and a chimney in this condition should not be used under any circumstances.

When the time comes to repair or replace the chimney liner, people with metal or tile liners in their homes find that it is best to make a complete change. Today, it is often recommended that these liners be replaced with ones that are made of clay. The reason is that clay is extremely durable and can withstand not only exposure to combustible materials but also to extremely high temperatures. If someone installs a new clay liner in their chimney, they can expect that it will remain in good working condition for about fifty years.

While making the switch, it is important to avoid fire hazards by completely removing all pieces of the old liner. It is also necessary to measure the chimney precisely and account for any irregularities, such as a crooked chimney. In order to function safely, the liner must fit the chimney exactly. These repairs are extremely complicated and it is not recommended that they are done as a do it yourself project. A profession should always be employed to do this precise work and make sure that it is safe before use.

Although many people are not aware of the condition of their chimney liner, it is a very important safety issue. An annual chimney inspection will give insight into whether or not any repairs or a complete replacement is necessary. These days, many homeowners opt for a clay liner because it is durable and will most likely last for the duration of their time in the home.

By Jim Robinson on July 12th, 2013 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment