Flue liner replacement for Lake Richmond homes

Four kinds of lining the residential code accepts

Section R1003.11.1 lists four ways to line a flue for residential appliances. Clay flue lining made to ASTM C315, chimney lining systems listed to UL 1777, factory-built chimneys or chimney units listed to go inside masonry, and other approved materials that flue gases and condensate as hot as 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit cannot corrode, erode, soften or crack.

Relining an existing chimney usually comes down to one of the first three. Your estimate names which route we propose, why it suits the chimney and the appliance, and what the other routes would involve if you want to compare them.

Checking the chimney wall itself

Masonry chimney walls should be solid units, or hollow units grouted solid, at least 4 inches in nominal thickness under the residential code, and liner instructions repeat that expectation. A thinner wall, or one with voids, changes what the liner system needs.

We note the wall construction wherever it can be seen, at the top, at openings and in the attic, and explain any concern before relining is priced, not after the liner is on order. Where the wall cannot be seen, the estimate says so and explains how that uncertainty was handled.

What a relining estimate should list

Our written relining estimates list each part of the job, so you can compare them fairly with any other proposal. If a line is missing from a quote you received elsewhere, it is worth asking whether that part was left out or simply not written down.

• The liner product, diameter and length
• Insulation, and whether it is required or optional
• Top plate, liner cap and any extension
• The tee, adapter or other base connection
• Cleaning, tile removal and other preparation
• Separate lines for crown or masonry repairs

Planning around every connected appliance

Liner makers note that the arrangement depends on the size and configuration of the chimney and on the type, number and location of the appliances vented into it.

We list every appliance connected to the chimney and every flue it contains before designing the relining. Nothing gets sized in isolation. A basement or garage appliance that shares the chimney is easy to forget, so we ask about it and look for its connection.