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Everything You Need to Know About Chimney Liners

What Is a Chimney Liner?

A chimney liner is the flue pipe that vents the gases and smoke from your fireplace up and out from your home. A chimney liner can be made from terracotta or stainless steel. 

A terracotta chimney liner is more brittle and can crack under the extreme heat of a chimney fire since it’s made from ceramic clay.

Stainless steel liners, on the other hand, is much more resilient to extreme temperatures and can typically be installed in one piece, minimizing unnecessary seams. 

Here’s a demonstration that shows how a stainless steel liner can withstand the intense heat from a chimney fire:

Where to Buy a Chimney Liner?

You can buy a chimney from a chimney specialty supplier or from your local home improvement store. However, obtaining the right size, hauling, cutting and installing a chimney liner can be pretty involved and even dangerous if not done properly. 

That’s why we recommend that you buy a chimney liner from your local certified chimney sweep company and also have them install it for you so you can keep your family and home safe.

How Much Does a New Chimney Liner Cost?

A chimney liner can cost anywhere from $1500 to upwards of $8000 depending on the length of the chimney liner and installation cost. 

That’s a pretty wide range. So the best way to get an exact quote is to have a certified chimney sweep come out to your home and perform a chimney inspection to see exactly what work is required. After the chimney inspection is completed, the chimney company will provide you with exact numbers on the liner and installation cost.

Do I Need a Chimney Liner? Why Do I Need a Chimney Liner?

You do need a chimney liner in order to protect the inside of your chimney and your home from the combustible byproducts produced from your fireplace.

Without a chimney liner, the gases and smoke wouldn’t vent properly up and out from your home. The inside of your chimney would also be directly exposed to the fire’s heat and creosote buildup, thus shortening the life of your chimney, which would eventually require a very expensive chimney rebuild.

If your chimney liner is rusted or cracked, it’s important to get it repaired or get a new chimney liner installed to prevent a venting issue, which could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

How Often to Clean a Stainless Steel Chimney Liner?

You should hire a certified chimney sweep to come and clean your stainless steel chimney liner according to how often you use it. If you use your fireplace often during the colder months, then you’ll want to have your chimney cleaned every year. More infrequent use of your fireplace means that you could probably wait to have your liner cleaned out every other year.

However, it is wise to schedule a spring chimney inspection for any small signs of damage or water penetration. Catching these small repairs could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

How Long Does a Chimney Liner Last?

A chimney liner can last as long as a lifetime if you maintain it properly with regular chimney cleaning and yearly inspections. 

Our stainless steel chimney liners come with a lifetime warranty, and they are designed to last for a very long time.

Questions?

If you have questions about your chimney liner, please call our office today (DMV: (703) 705-7550 and speak with one of our helpful representatives. Or you can request to schedule your chimney inspection online.

Rooftop Chimney sweeps serves the DMV region, which includes providing chimney inspection Fairfax Va, Arlington, Alexandria, and most of the northern Virginia area as well as southern Maryland and all of D.C.  We also serve the Richmond, Va area.

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