Rigid liners
Rigid stainless sections join together in straight chimneys and holds up to frequent cleaning.
Chimney Parts
Chimney Liner Installation Clarendon Hills, IL
A chimney sweep in Clarendon Hills can install a new liner in a flue that is unlined, cracked or the wrong size with a liner sized to the appliance and insulated where the system calls for it. Call (331) 301-3221 to reach a local chimney sweep.
Inside most chimneys is a liner, the tube that actually carries smoke and flue gases to the top. A sound liner shields the masonry from acids and heat, keeps fire away from the structure and sizes the flue so smoke moves efficiently. Many older homes, especially those built before the middle of the last century, have no liner at all.
Relining usually comes up for one of a handful of reasons. 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. It helps decide between repair and relining, and between flexible and rigid stainless. Seeing the inside of the flue makes the decision much easier.
Many chimney liner installation calls in Clarendon Hills also turn up a need for chimney liner repair or chimney inspection.
Need chimney liner installation in Clarendon Hills? Call (331) 301-3221 to talk to a local chimney sweep.
Call nowThe process
The chimney relining process
Relining a chimney is a careful job that starts well before the liner goes in.
Inspect the flue
The inside of the chimney is checked so the route and condition are known. The findings shape the rest of the job.
Size the liner
The liner diameter is matched to the appliance outlet or the fireplace opening, following the manufacturer guidance. The route and any offsets are noted.
Prepare the chimney
Before the liner goes in, the chimney is swept and cleared. The path from top to bottom has to be clear.
Lower it in
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.
Make the connections
At the top, a plate and cap close off the flue, and at the bottom the liner connects to the appliance. A sealed system is the whole point of relining.
Test the draft
The appliance is fired or the draft is tested to confirm smoke and gases go up and out. Make sure working CO alarms are in place near sleeping areas.
What is included
What chimney liner installation covers
Cast in place liners
A poured liner fills gaps and creates a new flue and can add strength to older masonry.
Insulated liners
An insulation wrap or poured insulation surrounds the liner to keep flue gases warm and meet clearance requirements.
Flexible stainless liners
Flexible stainless steel liners bend around offsets in the chimney and are common for inserts, stoves and gas appliances.
Water heater relining
Liners sized for gas and oil appliances to keep combustion gases moving out of the house.
Related service
Stainless Steel Chimney Liner Clarendon Hills, IL
Stainless steel is the most common material for relining today, because it is strong, resists corrosion and works with wood, gas and oil. It comes in flexible coils for chimneys with bends and rigid sections for straight flues. 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.
Insulating a stainless liner improves draft, cuts creosote buildup in wood flues and is part of many systems. At the top, a sealing plate and cap keep rain and animals out. In Clarendon Hills, a stainless liner is a common upgrade when installing an insert or wood stove.
Related service
Chimney Relining Clarendon Hills, IL
Relining means putting a new liner into a chimney that has an old, damaged or missing one. Changing to an insert or stove, finding cracked tiles or recovering from a chimney fire usually leads to relining. Most chimneys can be relined from the roof without opening walls.
Before relining, it helps to know which appliances share the chimney. An orphaned water heater, left behind when a new furnace vents elsewhere, is a common reason to reline. A smaller liner brings the draft back where it should be.
Local help
Chimney Liner Installation Near Me
Many chimneys in Clarendon Hills were built long before modern liners were standard. From Clarendon Hills out to places nearby like Westmont, Hinsdale, Willowbrook and Oak Brook, wood stoves and inserts are common, and each one needs a properly sized liner, which is why relining is one of the most common chimney upgrades in the area.
Need chimney liner installation around Clarendon Hills? Call (331) 301-3221 for a Clarendon Hills chimney sweep who serves the towns around it too.
How the weather here affects chimneys around Clarendon Hills
This part of the country gets long winters, heavy snow in places and stretches of bitter cold. Heating systems and wood stoves work nearly nonstop for months, which means fast creosote buildup and a lot of stress on liners, crowns and flashing. Snow that piles up behind a chimney and melts slowly is a common source of leaks at the flashing. Most chimney cleaning in Clarendon Hills, IL happens right before the first snow.
Why call
Why act early
Smaller repairs
Small chimney problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Sweeps who know Clarendon Hills
Chimney sweeps in Clarendon Hills know the chimneys and fireplaces common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask the sweep about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Chimney Liner Installation FAQ
What is the difference between a clay liner and a stainless liner?
The original liner in most masonry chimneys is clay tile, which is durable until a chimney fire or settling cracks it. Stainless steel liners are installed later, from the top, and are used to reline chimneys whose tiles are damaged or missing. Small cracks may be repairable, so ask about both options.
How long will a new chimney liner hold up?
A quality stainless liner, installed and maintained properly, can last for decades. Keeping it swept and using dry wood helps it last. Annual inspection helps catch problems early.
Why does my water heater flue need relining after a furnace upgrade?
When a home switches to a high efficiency furnace that vents out the side of the house, the water heater may be left as the only appliance using the chimney. A big flue with little heat going up it leads to backdrafting and moisture damage. The fix is a properly sized liner, plus CO alarms in the home.
What does a chimney liner do?
A liner protects the house from heat, protects the masonry from corrosive flue gases and gives the appliance a flue of the right size. Without a sound liner, the chimney is less safe and wears out faster. A camera inspection answers the question for your chimney.
Does a fireplace insert need a liner?
Current standards call for a fireplace insert to connect directly to a liner, and most inserts are installed with a full length liner to the top. Venting an insert into an oversized clay flue leads to poor draft and heavy creosote. Check the insert installation instructions for details.
More questions? Call (331) 301-3221
Often needed together
Chimney Liner Repair
Restoring a damaged chimney liner so smoke and gases stay sealed inside the flue.
Learn moreChimney Inspection
An annual look at the flue, firebox, damper, crown and cap before a sale, after a chimney fire or ahead of the heating season.
Learn moreFireplace Insert Installation
Installing wood, gas and pellet inserts in existing fireplaces, sized to the firebox and vented through a full-length liner.
Learn moreWood Stove Installation
Installing freestanding wood stoves with the right clearances, hearth and venting, following the stove manual and local code.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all chimney servicesTalk to a Clarendon Hills chimney sweep about chimney liner installation
Call (331) 301-3221 for a local chimney sweep in Clarendon Hills and nearby towns.
(331) 301-3221
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