Chimney Relining & Chimney Liner Installation

What a Chimney Liner Does

A chimney liner is the tube inside the chimney that carries smoke, heat and gases up and out of the house. It keeps the heat of a fire away from the brick and the wood framing around the chimney, it keeps acidic smoke and moisture from eating into the mortar, and it gives the fire the right size opening to draft well.

Most older masonry chimneys are lined with clay tiles. Over time, heat, moisture and settling crack those tiles and open gaps in the joints between them. A damaged liner can let heat reach the framing of your home and let carbon monoxide leak into the living space.

Signs Your Chimney Needs Relining

You usually cannot see the liner from the fireplace, so the first signs are often small:

• Pieces of tile in the firebox. Flakes or chunks of clay that fall down the flue come from a breaking liner.
• Smoke or odors in the room. A damaged liner can change the draft and push smoke back into the house.
• A past chimney fire. A chimney fire can crack tiles from top to bottom, even if the fire went out on its own.
• A new appliance. A fireplace insert, wood stove or gas furnace often needs a liner sized to it.
• Water in the flue. Moisture from rain or gas exhaust breaks down tile joints over time.

The only way to know for sure is a camera inspection of the whole flue, which is part of a Level 2 chimney inspection.

Chimney Liner Installation for Inserts and Stoves

A fireplace insert or wood stove sends smoke into a much smaller opening than an open fireplace. When that smoke goes into a large clay flue, it cools, drafts poorly and leaves more creosote. A liner sized to the unit and run the full height of the chimney keeps the draft strong and the flue cleaner. When we handle a fireplace installation, we check the flue first and tell you whether a new liner is needed.

Types of Chimney Liners

• Stainless steel liners: the most common choice for relining. They slide inside the existing flue and work with wood, gas and oil appliances.
• Clay tile liners: the standard in many older brick chimneys. Replacing them usually means taking down part of the chimney, so they are rarely used to reline.
• Cast-in-place liners: a cement mix poured around a form inside the flue. They can also strengthen an older chimney.

The right liner depends on what you burn, the size and shape of your flue, and the condition of the chimney around it. We show you the camera photos and explain the choice before you decide.

Chimney Relining Cost

Nationally, a new chimney liner costs about $2,500, with most jobs between $1,500 and $5,000, according to HomeAdvisor. The price depends on:

• The height of the chimney and the number of flues.
• The liner type and whether it needs insulation.
• Whether the old liner has to be broken out first.
• Any masonry, crown or cap work needed at the same time.

Ember gives you a written price after the camera inspection, before any work starts. See how relining compares with other jobs in our chimney repair cost guide.

How Ember Relines a Chimney

1. Camera inspection. We scan the full flue and show you the photos.
2. Written price. You get the liner type, the work and the price in writing.
3. Install. We install the liner, connect it to your fireplace, insert or stove, and seal the top.
4. Cap it. A chimney cap keeps rain and animals out of the new liner.

Ember Chimney & Fireplace is a BBB Accredited Business with an A rating, and we are licensed, bonded and insured. Our certified technicians offer guaranteed same-day service, and our Zero-Mess Guarantee means your floors and furniture look the same when we leave as when we arrived. If your liner is part of a larger problem, our chimney repair team handles the crown, flashing and masonry too.