Recently we discovered some issues with a chimney that necessitated a fireplace reline.
Gaps and cracks in a chimney liner can allow exhaust to escape and reach the home. When a smoke chamber is missing its required coating of high temperature cement, heat transfer becomes an issue. These issues make a fireplace and chimney unsafe for use and out of code.
If a wood or gas burning insert is not an option, a fireplace reline is a great solution.High grade stainless steel alloy liners are used in these circumstances for a lifetime warranty. Once proper measurements are taken and the appropriate liner is selected, it is inserted into the chimney from the top.
Once the liner reaches the smoke chamber, it is sealed in place at the bottom. Insulation is then poured into the cavity between the old liner and the new liner. When the entire cavity is filled, the liner is sealed into place at the top.
At this time, the high temperature cement is applied to the smoke chamber walls. This gives us much needed resistance to heat transfer as well as greatly improving draft. Often times the damper needs to be removed to access the smoke chamber. The customer elected to allow us to upgrade his damper system to a top-sealing damper. This moves the damper mechanism from the fireplace to the top of the chimney. This also helps improve the draft as well as providing a more convenient way to operate the damper via a handle bolted to the firebox wall.
These are some of the basic components of a stainless steel fireplace reline.
