Flexible stainless liners
A flexible liner works in chimneys that are not perfectly straight which makes them the most common relining choice.
A chimney sweep in Steger can install a new liner in a flue that is unlined, cracked or the wrong size to protect the masonry and keep heat away from the framing around it. Call (708) 708-7359 to reach a local chimney sweep.
Inside most chimneys is a liner, the tube that actually carries smoke and flue gases to the top. It keeps heat from reaching wood framing next to the chimney, protects the brick and mortar from corrosive gases and gives the appliance a flue of the right size to draft well. In older houses, it is common to find an unlined chimney or a clay tile liner that has failed.
Most liner installations start with one of these situations. The original clay tiles may be cracked from age, settling or a chimney fire, or the chimney may never have been lined. Changing appliances is another big one, because a flue sized for an old fireplace is usually too large for a modern insert or furnace.
Before relining, the chimney should get a thorough inspection, usually a Level 2 inspection with a camera run up the flue. The inspection tells you whether relining is truly needed and what kind of liner suits the chimney. Seeing the inside of the flue makes the decision much easier.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Steger chimney sweep may also recommend chimney liner repair or chimney inspection.
Looking for Steger chimney liner installation? Call (708) 708-7359 and describe the problem to a chimney sweep who works in Steger.
Call nowA liner has to fit the flue, the appliance and the chimney route.
The sweep inspects the flue from top to bottom, usually with a video camera. The findings shape the rest of the job.
Sizing follows the appliance it will serve, since too big or too small both cause problems. The length is measured from the appliance to the top of the chimney.
Creosote and debris are cleaned out first, and broken tiles may be removed to make room. The path from top to bottom has to be clear.
The liner goes in from the top, with insulation added where the system requires it. Insulation keeps the flue warm for better draft and helps meet clearance rules.
The bottom connects to the stove, insert or appliance, and the top is sealed with a top plate and cap. Every joint is secured so gases stay inside the liner.
A draft test confirms the new liner is working. Make sure working CO alarms are in place near sleeping areas.
A flexible liner works in chimneys that are not perfectly straight which makes them the most common relining choice.
A properly sized liner for a water heater left alone after a furnace upgrade to keep combustion gases moving out of the house.
A cement based mix is poured around a form inside the chimney to create a smooth new flue in a single solid lining.
Rigid stainless sections join together in straight chimneys which suits wood burning appliances well.
Insulation is wrapped around the liner or poured into the space around it to keep flue gases warm and meet clearance requirements.
Stainless steel is the most common material for relining today, because it is strong, resists corrosion and works with wood, gas and oil. Flexible stainless goes around offsets in a chimney, and rigid stainless suits straight runs. The grade of stainless and the wall thickness are matched to the fuel, and systems are tested and listed as complete kits with their parts.
Insulation around the liner helps flue gases rise and keeps the outside of the chimney cooler. A cap and top plate finish the job at the top of the chimney. Many Steger chimneys get a stainless liner when an old fireplace is converted to an insert.
Relining means putting a new liner into a chimney that has an old, damaged or missing one. The most common triggers are chimney fires, settling cracks, missing mortar and appliance changes. Relining is usually far less disruptive than rebuilding the chimney.
Have a list of everything that uses the chimney ready when you call (708) 708-7359. If the furnace was upgraded recently, the water heater may now be venting into a flue that is too large. A properly sized liner fixes that.
Around Steger, relining usually comes up when a home changes heating appliances or an inspection turns up cracked tiles. From Steger out to places nearby like South Chicago Heights, Crete, Sauk Village and Chicago Heights, wood stoves and inserts are common, and each one needs a properly sized liner, and a new liner is often the safest long term fix.
Need chimney liner installation around Steger? Call (708) 708-7359 for a Steger chimney sweep who serves the towns around it too.
Winters here are cold and long, with lake effect snow in many towns and deep cold snaps that can last for days. Furnaces, wood stoves and fireplaces run hard from fall to spring, so flues collect creosote fast and liners and crowns see a lot of heat and cold. Snow drifting against the back of a chimney melts slowly and works water under tired flashing. That is why Steger chimney sweeps are busiest every September and October.
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Local sweeps see the same chimney types and weather wear across Steger and nearby towns.
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
More questions? Call (708) 708-7359
Repairing cracked clay flue tiles, open joints and damaged liners so smoke and gases stay sealed inside the flue.
Learn moreA top to bottom check of the chimney, inside and outside so you know whether it is safe to light a fire.
Learn moreInstalling wood, gas and pellet inserts in existing fireplaces, sized to the firebox and vented through a full-length liner.
Learn moreSetting up a new wood stove from hearth pad to chimney cap, following the stove manual and local code.
Learn moreLooking for something else?
See all chimney servicesCall (708) 708-7359 to talk to a chimney sweep serving Steger, IL.
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