Chimney Liner Repair – Chimney Sweep Services in Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC Region

Complete Chimneys of Pasadena, MD, provides professional chimney liner repair and chimney liner installation services in Baltimore, MD, Ellicott City, MD, Russett, MD, Severn, MD, Millersville, MD and other cities and towns throughout the greater Baltimore/District of Columbia area.

Without question one of the most important components of your fireplace/chimney system is the chimney liner.  It protects the walls of the chimney from water and intense heat and allows for the smooth passage of smoke and toxic gasses to the outside of the home.
The only way to know if your chimney liner is safe and in proper working condition is to have a certified technician perform a visual and video inspection.
A quality chimney liner will bring you years of good service, but eventually it may need to be repaired or replaced.  Chimney inspections performed on an annual basis will tell our technicians if and when attention needs to be given to this critical component.  In some instances, we can repair a damaged liner; in other cases, we can install a new liner, making sure you have the exact right type for your chimney.  If you have never had a chimney liner, we can install a new one.

What Is a Chimney Liner?

A chimney liner, as the name implies, lines the inside of the chimney from top to bottom.  Most chimney liners are built with one of four materials:

• Stainless steel

Each type of liner has its own expected lifespan, but all of them provide a solid barrier between intense heat inside the flue and the masonry of the chimney’s interior surface.  The slightest cracks or deterioration in the liner signal the need for immediate repair.  Left unattended, a defective chimney liner can lead to significant decomposition of the chimney structure, which will be expensive to fix and dangerous to those who live in the home.
Additionally, a chimney liner with compromised areas can allow large amounts of heat to escape, which could result in a chimney fire.

Do You Need a New Chimney Liner?

Issues can exist with a chimney liner that don’t call for having a new one installed.  For example, liners can become obstructed with built-up creosote, which is highly flammable, or environmental debris.  Chimney cleaning by a certified chimney sweep usually can solve these problems quickly.
How can you know if your chimney has an obstruction?  The most obvious way is if smoke is backing up into your home.  Assuming your house isn’t extremely air-tight and that your fireplace damper is working properly, smoke in the house usually signals a blockage within the chimney liner.  Creosote as well as debris such as leaves, twigs and animal nests can be safely removed by a chimney service technician.

To determine the exact type and level of obstruction, a professional inspection is required.  Virtually every fire-safety agency in the U.S. recommends you schedule chimney cleaning at least once a year to prevent a potentially dangerous obstruction in your chimney or worse, a life-threatening chimney fire.
If your liner is damaged, however, repair or replacement will be necessary.  Once damage begins, it only gets worse.  Too many people put off having their chimneys inspected, even after signs like broken clay tiles or dripping water in the firebox are present.  This will only lead to a more complicated problem to fix that will cost a lot more money.

Another reason to have a new chimney liner installed is when your chimney needs to accommodate a new heating system such as a wood stove or fireplace insert.  Liners aren’t “one size fits all” – each heating appliance comes with specifications on what size and style of chimney liner will be safe and efficient to use with it.

Is it time to have your chimney liner looked at?  Complete Chimneys of Pasadena, MD, provides professional chimney inspection, chimney liner repair and chimney liner installation for customers throughout the Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, regions.  Call us today.