stainless steel chimney liner

Many homeowners who have never replaced their chimney liner are probably unaware if they even have one already. When a fireplace needs a new chimney liner, it's recommended you go with a stainless steel option because of its durability overtime. There are several benefits to installing a new chimney liner, the biggest of which is safety.

As with any product, there are a wide variety of chimney liners on the market to choose from.  They have different uses and different strengths, and proper research should be done before deciding exactly what kind is right for you.  Just to brush up on your chimney knowledge a little, we want to note that a chimney liner is also known as a flue liner, and it is generally used to contain the combustion that occurs inside of your chimney, protecting the chimney itself from wear and corrosion.  It’s an added safety measure for your chimney and is extremely important in the proper maintenance of your chimney.  The different materials that liners are made of have different benefits, which we will outline below.

Clay Liners

A clay flue liner is the most common to see in a typical American home.  Clay is popular due to its easy availability, inexpensiveness, and classicism.  However, clay may not be doing exactly the job you expect it to.  A flue liner’s main function is to protect the sides of the chimney itself, preventing future needed maintenance.  Clay tiles are not very good at redistributing the heat in the chimney when a fire begins, meaning that those very clay tiles that you were trying to protect begin to shatter when met with extreme heat.  Though clay is inexpensive, you may end up paying for that decision later on in the form of chimney maintenance.

Cast-In-Place Liners

Cast-In-Place chimney line

We advise everybody to invest in a chimney liner, but does it matter what type?  Yes!  As with any product, the better and more reliable the material is the better, and there are certainly varying degrees to which you can count on a chimney liner to do its job depending on what material yours is made of.  Stainless steel is heralded as a strong, stain-resistant material, and its benefits certainly extend to your chimney liner.

What is a Chimney Liner?

A chimney liner, or flue lining, is a lining for your chimney that aids in the filtering out of particulates, as well as serving to protect the sides of your chimney from heat and corrosion.  Not only is having a chimney liner highly recommended, but a lot of fire safety codes actually mandate that you use a chimney liner.

Why Stainless Steel?

Though chimney liners can come in a variety of materials, such as clay, ceramic, or metal, stainless steel is going to be your best bet for a durable, long-lasting, and effective chimney liner.  Other chimney lining materials are going to work just fine, but the strong chemical bonds present in stainless steel makes it resistant to change from the heat of your fireplace.  In order for a chemical reaction to happen between any number of substances, heat is usually a main element of catalyzing a reaction.  Because the molecules of stainless steel are so solid and tightly packed, they are more resistant to heat, and thus more durable, than other substances.