The importance of Chimney Liners

As a Dublin roofing company, we often get questions regarding chimney repairs in Dublin. In most older properties with a chimney, the homeowner will inevitably have some issue with leakage or, more commonly, problems with the chimney liner degrading. Therefore we often are asked how often the chimney lining should be changed. In today's blog, we will look at the different types of chimney liners and discuss when a chimney liner should be changed.

The function of the Chimney liner

A chimney liner is an essential part of a Chimney's overall construction. The liner protects people in the house from carbon monoxide poisoning. It's also designed to withstand heat and embers, stopping the home from catching fire.

Clearly, the chimney liner is essential. Therefore, it is necessary to know when this liner should be changed.

When should Chimney Liner be Changed?

There are three different types of Chimney liner currently used in Irish properties. There is clay liner, ceramic liner and stainless steel liner.

To this day, clay liners are still by far the most popular. The popularity is based on their durability and the relatively low cost of a clay liner. However, clay liners are only installed when the home is built and rarely retrofitted to a property. This is because clay liners are awkward to install. When retrofitting a liner, stainless steel is often used. Stainless steel is used because it's easy to install and highly durable.

Finally, there is the ceramic liner. Currently referred to as the gold standard, ceramic liners' advantages are threefold. They're easy to install, highly durable, and improve the chimney's overall structural integrity.

Now, we have a better idea of the different types of liners. Let's discuss when each should be changed. As a rule of thumb, ceramic and clay chimney liners have an estimated lifespan of 50 years. Stainless steel liners, on the other hand, have an estimated lifespan of 20 years; however, this can be expanded with proper maintenance. It should be kept in mind that just because a liner has a particular service life, this doesn't mean these liners will perform adequately for this estimated lifespan. The service life of a liner can be undermined by everything from wear and tear, exposure to extreme weather conditions, etc.

Therefore we recommend changing liners closer to the end of their service life. We also recommend CCTV inspections of your chimney to catch any damage quickly.

Pro Fix Roofing, is one of Dublin's most established chimney repair companies. Please get in touch with our experts today when you require a chimney liner inspection or a structural chimney repair.