Five Important Queries for any Chimney Relining Process

If someone suggests chimney relining for your home, it is important to ask questions so you can decide if they are the right person to complete this job.

Any serious work involving your chimney is always better off left in the hands of a professional. While you can probably clean the chimney yourself, making improvements or adjustments is a complex process. If you are thinking about getting chimney relining done, call a professional and ask them about the services they offer. Along with getting their rate and other information, ask them a few questions about the process when they arrive at your home.

When you speak with a professional about the chimney relining process, you can better understand why they are taking certain measures. It also lets you decide whether this person is the right fit for the job. Here are five important queries for any Chimney relining professional:

1. Will the new liner be insulated?

If they are installing a new liner, you need to know whether insulation is required. If the liner is going to vent solid fuel appliances, insulation is an absolute must. Sometimes insulation is also preferable for venting oil or gas appliances. Talk with the chimney professional and get their opinion on insulation.

2. Is there a warranty?

If you are replacing your old or damaged liner, you should ask about any possible warranties for the new one. This is helpful if you ever need repairs or periodical inspections of the liner in the future. Also ask if there are any specific terms in the warranty that may result in its voidance. A lot of chimney liner warranties specify that a professional must complete the installation, and inspect the liner at least one time every 12 months.

3. Is the new chimney liner UL listed, or tested for UL standards?

There are two distinct types of chimney liners, in terms of their standards. The Underwriter Laboratories, or UL, listing means that a liner is probably of a higher quality. There are also liners that meet UL standards, but are inspected by different organizations. It is up to you whether you want to go with a genuine UL listing, or do not mind a tested to UL standards liner.

4. What stainless steel alloy makes up this liner?

There are a number of alloys used for these appliances, but 316Ti is the most common. This alloy is very resistance to the corrosive elements that come through in gas and oil flue gasses. If the appliance you use is very efficient, you may need the AL29 4C alloy. Your professional should be able to assess your appliance and determine a suitable alloy.

5. Does the chimney liner impact the vent’s performance?

If you are getting a new chimney liner installed by a professional, the end result should be better venting performance. If the venting performance is the same as before, or worse, it means there is something wrong with the type of liner chosen or its installation.

These questions help you make an informed decision about the type of chimney liner you need, along with who should be installing this liner. Do not leave everything in the hands of a professional, because it is better to take a proactive stance with anything involving your home.

Learn all About Wood Stove Installation

Knowing the proper procedures and safety measures makes any wood stove installation project a lot easier to manage.

If you are looking to heat up a part of your house without spending a lot of money, a wood stove is a great option. These types of stoves are often uses as an inexpensive source of energy, while also adding a rustic feel to the home. However, it is very important that you are careful with wood stove installation, because the process can be dangerous if handled improperly. 

For those who have decided on wanting a wood stove in their home, here is a look at the steps involved in installing a wooden stove.

1. Location

A lot of people make the mistake of ordering their wood stove before they know where it is going to go. This is not a regular piece of furniture or a small appliance. Some wood stoves are close to 500 pounds, making them incredibly difficult to maneuver. They require a specific type of space in the house where you can keep the stove safely and securely.

If you want the wooden stove for heating purposes, think about keeping it somewhere on your first floor and near the area where you spend most of your time. There is no point having the stove in one corner of your house, if you are always in the other part of the home. For any wood stove installation project, efficiency and insulation are key components. If your stove is installed in a badly insulated room, you will lose a lot of heat and end up using unnecessarily high amounts of energy.

2. Clearance Rating

Wood stoves are extremely hot, which means they should not be placed right next to other appliances or furniture. If you place your stove right next to other items, there is a good chance it will burn something. Speak with a professional about the specific stove you want and whether it is safe for a certain spot in your home.

The clearance rating of a stove is important, because it indicates the amount of space the stove needs from other appliances or even your floors and walls. If you ignore the clearance rating, your stove is a definite fire hazard in the short and long-term.

3. Certification

Make sure you are not getting an uncertified stove. A certified stove is one that is approved through certain safety and environmental conditions. Not only are you likely to get an inefficient stove if you go uncertified, but it is potentially dangerous to have around your house.

4. Correct Size

If you only have a small space that requires heating, you do not need a gigantic wood stove to get the job done. Similarly, you need to take into account the amount of space you can create for the stove. Speak with a professional who can assess your home and your needs before recommending a stove size.

5 Identify the Authorities. 

If you are starting a wood stove installation project, it is important to speak with someone from your local government. This is a courtesy to check in on any potential legal and safety regulations regarding wood stoves. Every town and city has their own rules, which makes it a lot more efficient to get this out of the way before you start construction or placement of the stove. There are cases where a building permit is required for the legal addition of a wood stove. In other cases, you might not have to deal with much paperwork at all.

6. Hire a Professional

A wooden stove can become a dangerous object if you do not know what you are doing. This is a giant appliance that has one purpose: to generate heat. If it is installed correctly, wood stoves are 100 percent safe. However, a poor installation can lead to serious problems down the road. If you are investing in a wood stove, you want it installed properly. 

Speak with a professional company that specializes in the selection and installation of wood stoves. They can recommend a stove model for your needs and help you get it installed. Even after the stove is installed, you might want to consider periodic inspections to make sure everything is running properly. It is worth your family and home’s safety to pay a little extra for periodic inspections.

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The Importance of Chimney Cap Repair

If you are getting chimney cap repair, or general chimney repairs, it is good to understand the common problems associated with chimneys and their solutions.

Lighting up your fireplace in the winter, or making a delicious meal using your oven and stove, is a lot of fun. However, it is important to know that these situations can also involve a certain amount of danger, especially if your chimney is not functioning properly. It is so vital that your chimney is maintained on a regular basis, especially if you are constantly using appliances that push air through it. Not only does the chimney work better if it is maintained, but it keeps everyone in your home safe.

Chimney Cap Repair:

Chimney cap repair is essential to ensuring your chimney is running smoothly, as are other types of repairs. For proper understanding, think about how a chimney works. The purpose of your chimney is to get smoke and other gasses out of a hot zone and into the open air. And you do not want these gasses in other rooms of your house either, which is why the chimney draws them outside your home. If the smoke is not vented out by your chimney, it can start a fire or cause the home’s inhabitants to develop carbon monoxide poisoning.

Chimneys also keep your home safe by ensuring nothing gets too hot. If the area near a chimney heats up too much, it can cause serious structural damage to your home. This is why you must spot chimney issues early and deal with them immediately.

Chimney Cap Repair and Maintenance Tips:

If you cannot always call a professional to come look at your chimney, here are some maintenance steps you can perform yourself.

1. Make sure the outside part of your chimney is not damaged in any way. If there are visible cracks or the joints have gaps, you should call a professional to investigate further.

2. It is imperative that your home has detectors to check for carbon monoxide gasses. It does not take much for a chimney to stop working, but your detectors will let you know if there is ever a high level of carbon monoxide in the air. Keep these vents in every room, or at least every floor of the house. Even low levels of carbon monoxide are very dangerous.

3. If you are lighting fires, make sure they are hot enough to stop creosote from building up in your chimney.

4. Get your chimney cleaned and inspected at least one time a year. Even if this costs you some extra money, it is better than leaving your chimney uninspected. Not only does that put you and your family in danger, but the costs of chimney repair are a lot higher than regular maintenance checks. With a regular check, you can spot problems early before they become major issues.

The cap of your chimney is right at the top of the part that sticks out of your house. This cap is important for the smooth flow of gasses out of your house. Some caps also include dampers to prevent cold air from getting into your house down the chimney. If you feel as though your home’s insulation is not performing adequately, you might want to invest in Chimney cap repair to solve the problem.

Five Questions to Ask During Chimney Liner Installation

If you are getting a chimney liner installation done by a professional, it is important to ask them certain questions in order to cover all your bases.

Whenever you are getting something installed in your home, it is important to learn all about the process, its risks and how to get it done efficiently. With chimney liner installation, it makes sense to talk with an expert and have them complete the job. However, you still want to ask them certain types of questions, in order to get a better understanding for how they work and what they plan to do with your chimney. Here is a look at five important questions to ask during a chimney liner installation.

1. Is it necessary for me to get a new chimney liner?

If someone is suggesting that you get a new chimney liner, it is a good idea to ask them why they believe this process is necessary. As far as chimneys are concerned, there are three main reasons why you would require a new liner.

A – Right now, your chimney does not have a clay tile liner, which is very common among older chimneys.

B – The clay tile liner on your chimney is damaged right now.

C – You need a chimney liner to improve the performance and safety of your home because you just installed a new heating unit, such as a stove or furnace. If this is going through your masonry chimney, it is very important to get a liner.

2. Is there any damage to my chimney right now? Can you please show it to me?

If someone is suggesting there is a problem with your chimney and you need a new liner, it is a good idea to ask them to demonstrate this issue. When you see the problem yourself, you get a much better sense for why a certain solution is necessary. Professionals can take a photo or video of your chimney from the inside, revealing the damaged or missing liner.

3. Will the liner fix my chimney problems?

If the professional can give you a proper answer on how the liner fixes the issues you are currently facing, they are the right person for this job.

4. What is the process of getting the liner fit into the flue?

There are concerns with fitting a stainless steel liner into a chimney, because these liners typically have attached insulation. Your professional must be able to indicate whether fitting this liner into the chimney is an issue. And if it is an issue, they can present you with their plan to resolve it.

5. What liner will you install?

In terms of chimney liners, you have the option of light, high performance light and heavy liners that are available for chimneys. Whoever is installing your chimney liner must be able to tell you which liner fits your needs, and why that is the case. If they cannot give you a proper answer, or they keep asking you to choose a type of liner, perhaps they are not the right person for the job.

If you ask a professional chimney line installer these questions, you will have a better sense for how they work and for what is wrong with your chimney.

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CHIMNEY REPAIR

Whoever thought that you might need chimney repair because of bricks that are spalled? Aspalled brick is one that is broken. It’s the surface damage of a brick.

Because of its heat-containing features, only fire-treated brick may be used internally. External brickwork is different.Brick is a common building component, but brick mechanics change according to use, location, and the exposure to the elements. A qualified brick mason must know many things.

Brick deteriorates. Old brick with many years of exposure to weather may “flake.” Exterior surfaces will peel away from the brick, while constant exposure to the elements may cause a brick to fail, crack, and fall away from the chimney.The greatest source of damage to the chimney is water—freezing and thawing.

Bricks used in chimney exteriors are developed with porous interiors and finished with a hard nonporous shell. Whenever that shell is breached, the porous interior of the brick becomes exposed to the elements. Water in the cracks of a brick freezes, forcing bricks to split. In a lined chimney, the exterior brick will split away from the liner and may fall to the roof or the ground. Once water has found its way inside a brick wall, the freeze-thaw-freeze process will progressively destroy the wall—or the exterior of a chimney.

But Also the Mortar

There are five types of mortar: M, N, S, O, and K. These vary according to the amount of cement, water, sand, and hydrated lime included. The names are designated by the American Society for Testing and Development (ASTD). They vary according to the pressure the masonry wall must endure. Type M is the mortar for chimney brickwork. It is a high-strength mortar.
By its nature, mortar is designed to be elastic. Brickwork can experience minor shifting. The mortar will permit that, while maintaining the bonding. This will affect how much mortar is applied, as the brick could be “squeezed,” should too much mortar be used. Squeezing will also lead to cracks and subsequent deterioration.

Back to Spalling

One type of spalling that applies to brickwork is known as mechanical spalling, and it occurs in one of two manners:

•    High stress contact: something applied as pressure against the brickwork itself, such as a pressure washing. When the under-surface construction of the brick gives way, the outside of the brick splits off.

•    Cavitation can also cause spalling. Fluids will aggregate inside the brick, causing bubbles to form. The bubbles expand, blowing the brick apart.
Again, the freeze/dry cycle can cause the spalling, plus changes in load, thermal expansion, and exposure to salt. Damage is possible in wind stress and ambient heat situations and where there is great exposure to salt, such as the seashore.
Possible Solutions

Now that you know what it is, what can be done about it? That lies in one of two actions:

•    Replacing damaged bricks

•    Re pointing crumbling mortar

For proper chimney repair, brick replacement must be done slowly. The mason must remove the damaged bricks in a manner that isolates the bad brick(s) without collapsing the rest of the chimney. This will mean cutting bricks to fit and size adjustments made to fit the aesthetics of the chimney.Mortar around the damaged brick must be removed to at least a depth of ½ inch and the surface must be wire brushed.

Type M mortar will be used, and in small amounts, that it may not dry before being applied. Add water, apply mortar to the empty space, trowel it onto the surfaces of the replacement brick, and insert it. Scrape away any excess mortar and shape the mortar to where it looks like the surrounding mortar.

Re-pointing is the other option for chimney repair. Where the mortar is crumbling, the mason will clear it with a hammer and cold chisel, brushing it clean with a wire brush.

The mason will load a mortar bag, allowing for the direction of new mortar into the deficient space until it has been completely filled. Once he has removed any excess mortar and shaped the joint so it looks like an adjacent joint, the process is complete.

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