Some chimneys are in such bad shape they must be relined in order to be used. There are several different methods of relining and we do a few of them and hope to add others as we can. Currently our most common method is putting a stainless steel liner down the chimney and connecting it to an appliance like a fireplace insert or wood stove. The picture on the right shows a cast in place liner in a terra cotta flue lined chimney. It is there to give you an idea of what relining is. It is essentially adding a new safer chimney inside a damaged one. This reduces the cost considerably over the entire replacement of a new chimney.
YOUR FIREPLACE INSERT CAN KILL YOU!
This is where the majority of problems are that we see. In our more than 30 years in business, the only fireplace inserts we have seen that are safely installed are ones we have relined ourselves. With few exceptions, most inserts are just stuffed or slammed into a fireplace. The danger is hidden out of sight and out of mind ... until a chimney fire erupts. Most of those who sell inserts usually are only interested in the sale and/or do not know how to safely install them or do not care about a safe installation. That is changing some what due to the damage an unsafe installation can cause.
IF YOU HAVE AN INSERT OR KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO DOES WE HAVE A BROCHURE EXPLAINING THE PROBLEMS WITH INSERTS. Just call us and we will send you one.
We routinely remove anywhere from 30-60 gallons of creosote from insert chimneys. One-half to three-quarters of a gallon of creosote is all it takes to start a good bad chimney fire.
Fireplace inserts are very popular because the fire can be controlled very easily by adjusting the draft controls to choke the air getting to the fire. But that convenience comes at a very steep cost. For a fire to burn cleanly it needs to have plenty of air. To shut down the air controls on an insert and starve air from the fire makes the fire burns very smoky. The smoke is laden with creosote and as it slowly meanders up the chimney building up on chimney walls each time fire is burned. Within a short time, even as little as one heating season, the creosote can build up to a very serious level.
The way inserts are commonly installed is asking for serious trouble with devastating results. Two of our recent insert customers reported having two chimney fires each in their units over the years. If you have an insert and have not had a fire yet you are lucky. Unless you take the step to have it properly installed and maintained regularly you are putting your family in danger. We can take care of that chore for you and keep you safe.
If you have previously had a chimney sweep "clean" your chimney without removing the insert-Ask for your money back because THEY DID NOT DO THEIR JOB! To properly clean the chimney of an insert it has to be pulled. There is no way around it. Properly installed, the insert has its own chimney connected to the insert and exiting from the top of the surrounding chimney. This way there is no place for creosote to hide and is easily removed without having to remove the insert each time it is cleaned.
Our favorite way to line chimneys is with ForeverFlex which has a forever warranty. This is our suppliers website page to show you the benefits of the Flex line. That means no matter how long you live in your home, the chimney is warranted...even against a chimney fire. If the liner is damaged it liner will be replaced.