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

Santa’s Friend Chimney Service – Offering Chimney Relining

You know how important it is to have your chimney system inspected and cleaned once a year. However, did you know how important your chimney liner is? This key part of your chimney is one we don’t often think about. Not only can your chimney liner be in a state of disrepair, but did you know that not every home with a fireplace has a chimney liner? If your home was built before 1940, it could be that your chimney doesn’t have a liner. This is definitely a problem!

Chimney Liners

The Chimney Safety Institute of America tells us that a chimney liner plays a vital role in making sure that your fireplace is running efficiently and safely. There are several reasons why this part of your chimney is so important. First off, a chimney liner protects your home’s interior from the heat of your fire. Unlined chimneys allow heat to move through your chimney very quickly. This can have disastrous results.

Another reason that a liner is so important? Your masonry chimney is susceptible to the corrosive effects of a fire. The gases that are released from your wood burning fire are acidic. This means that they can eat away at the mortar joints of your chimney from the inside. As these joints erode, more dangerous gases can leak back into your home.

Proper Fit

In order for your chimney liner to do the job it’s supposed to, it has to fit properly. Your chimney liner should allow the gases from your fire to escape, but it also allows air in to provide the draft to allow for combustion. If this liner doesn’t fit properly, your fire could produce more creosote build-up in your chimney, and that increases the possibility of a chimney fire.

Reline or Install

As stated earlier, an older home may not have a chimney liner at all. Even if you do have a chimney liner, there are things that can cause it to fall into a state of disrepair. Rain, when it combines with the gases that escape out your chimney, aids in erosion. Consequently, there’s no way to protect your chimney from precipitation. Also, as with any building materials, time takes its toll and your chimney liner can just wear down. Unfortunately, when your chimney liner breaks down, your fireplace doesn’t run as efficiently as it should; worse yet, it could be a fire hazard. Whether your chimney liner is broken or if you don’t have a chimney liner at all, Santa’s Friend Chimney Service can help you out.

Make the Call

The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that you have your fireplace system inspected and cleaned on a yearly basis; so does the National Fire Protection Agency. Santa’s Friend Chimney Service offers friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable service from CSIA certified professionals. Not only can they inspect and clean your chimney, they can also advise you on whether your chimney is in need of a new chimney liner. Give them a call today!

By Jim Robinson on February 8th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , | Leave a Comment