Santa's Friend Chimney Service Blog

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.

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.

Beat the Rush This Fall with a Summer Chimney Cleaning

The last thing on your mind during the lazy days of summer is your fireplace, but time has a way of getting away from us and fall will be here before we know it. National fire safety organizations like Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) all recommend that you have your fireplace and your chimney professionally swept and inspected before you light the first fire of the year to be sure the system functions properly and safely. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service strongly suggests to our customers making the appointment for this annual chimney maintenance service in the late summer to avoid the fall rush. The busiest time of the year for our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps begins in September and continues until the following January, so trying to schedule a chimney sweeping and inspection after the summer is over can be challenging and frustrating. You will most likely have to wait for several weeks before we can visit your home. We would like to tell you a bit more about these two maintenance services and what you can expect from a chimney cleaning and inspection from Santa’s Friend Chimney Service.

Chimney Sweeping

Our staff has noticed that the greatest concern of our first-time customers before we sweep their chimneys is about the possible mess involved. We would like to assure you that our chimney sweeps take great care to keep your home clean. The first thing our sweeps will do is cover your hearth with tarps to protect the floor and area around your fireplace from soot and debris. A dust collector, a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter, is set up to keep soot from escaping into the home and will be on the entire time our sweeps are brushing and sweeping the firebox and the interior walls of the flue to control dust. You can trust Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to remove all of the accumulated creosote that has built up on the walls of your chimney. Removing the creosote will keep your chimney from being a fire hazard since creosote is highly flammable and dangerous. Our sweeps will also clean and adjust the damper and assembly. After your chimney has been swept, you will have a 100% guarantee that your home will be as clean or cleaner than it was when our chimney sweeps arrived to your house.

Chimney Inspection

After your chimney has been cleaned and swept, our CSIA-certified chimney sweeps will conduct a visual inspection of the interior and exterior of your chimney. Our experts will check out the bricks, mortar, and other components of your chimney to look for any damage or deterioration. The interior of your chimney will be inspected for damage and for blockages that can create hazardous situations like a chimney fire or carbon monoxide leaks. If problems are found during this inspection, you will receive a written evaluation (including photos of the damage) and an estimate of needed repair work. You can trust our chimney sweeps to provide the appropriate level of inspection for your chimney as they have been trained on all three levels of the NFPA chimney inspection guidelines during their CSIA certification process.

Want to beat the fall rush? Contact Santa’s Friend Chimney Service to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection to be prepared for the coming fireplace season.