Chimney flue tile repair for Dixie Belle homeowners

Only enough mortar to make the joint

Section R1003.12 ends with a plain instruction that only enough mortar shall be placed to make the joint and hold the liners in position. Extra mortar squeezed into the flue or packed around the tiles changes how the lining behaves.

Mortar packed solid between the tile and the brick removes the space the liner needs and ties the two together. When we find that condition, we explain what it means for a repair and whether it has already cracked tiles as the chimney heated and cooled.

A listed product goes in by its listing

Under Section R1003.12.1 of the Florida residential code, listed materials used as flue linings shall be installed in accordance with the terms of their listings and the manufacturer's instructions. The listing is not a sticker, it is a set of limits.

Those instructions cover the surface the product may go on, how the flue is prepared, how thick it is applied and how it cures. We follow them step by step and keep the product details with your repair record. If a product's instructions cannot be followed in your flue, for example because of an offset it cannot pass, we do not use that product there.

What a flue repair estimate should list

A flue repair estimate should be specific enough to compare with another quote. Vague lines such as repair liner leave you unable to tell what is being fixed.

Ours list each item below. Book within 72 hours after the inspection and 10% off is printed right on the estimate.

• Sections of the flue included in the repair
• The method and the named product or material
• Cleaning and preparation before the repair
• Related work such as a cap, crown or cleanout cover
• Curing time and when the fireplace can be used
• Anything that could not be seen or confirmed

Dark stains on the outside of the chimney

Dark, tar-like staining on the outside of a chimney can point to flue gases or condensate getting through damaged lining and soaking into the masonry. It can also come from water running off the top.

When we see this kind of staining, we look for the flue damage that could explain it and for water entry at the crown or cap. The findings tell you which is responsible. The pattern helps. Staining that follows a flue's position up the chimney and appears after fires points to the lining. Staining that spreads from the top down after rain points to water.