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All Seasons Chimney Truck

1083 Little Britain Rd
New Windsor, NY 12553

CALL US NOW 845-567-1217

Company Blog

Why a Chimney Liner Is So Important

Why a Chimney Liner Is So Important Image - Poughkeepsie NY - All Seasons Chimney Inc.In order to work safely and efficiently, your chimney system needs several important components, including a liner. Until the mid-20th century, chimney liners were not mandated under building codes, and if you own an older home, there is a chance your chimney is unlined. All Seasons Chimney can bring your chimney up to modern standards by installing a new chimney liner in the flue. An unlined chimney can be dangerous. In the 1940’s and the 1980’s, the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) tested masonry chimneys for performance and safety reasons. They found that unlined chimneys were extremely unsafe. One of the researchers even compared building a chimney without a liner to committing a crime. Why is a chimney liner so important? The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) say this component of a chimney system is so essential for three of the functions it serves. We would like to tell you more about what chimney liners do.

Keep the combustible parts of your home safe from the extremely high temperatures produced in the fireplace and chimney.

Without a chimney liner, heat can transfer and spread to the wooden parts of your home that surround the chimney. This exposure to high temperatures could start a devastating house fire. The NBS found when they tested unlined chimneys, heat moved through the chimney so quickly that the surrounding woodwork was in flames within three and a half hours.

Protect the bricks and mortar of the chimney from the corrosive byproducts of combustion.

The NSB also found that if combustion gases penetrated the masonry materials of the chimney, this would reduce the life of the chimney because these acidic gases would eat away at the bricks and mortar joints on the interior of the chimney. This creates cracks and gaps that not only allow heat to transfer to the combustible parts of the home, but it also increases the risk that toxic gases like carbon monoxide will leak into your home through the voids created by the eroded bricks and mortar joints.

Give your heating appliance a correctly-sized flue.

When you upgrade your old masonry fireplace by installing a new fireplace insert, you typically need to have a new liner installed as well to provide a flue that matches the size of your new appliance. Most masonry chimneys are too large for these fireplace inserts, and this can cause condensation and draft problems. If your fireplace insert was not professionally installed, All Seasons Chimney can install a new stainless steel liner that will match the size of the insert.

Safety is not the only reason why a chimney liner is so important; it also makes your chimney work more efficiently. Contact us at All Seasons Chimney to find out which type of chimney liner is the best fit for your chimney and heating appliance.

Don’t Wait Until the Fall to Schedule Your Chimney Appointment

Don't Wait Until Fall To Schedule Your Chimney Appointment Image - Poughkeepsie NY - All Seasons Chimney Inc.Even though your fireplace and chimney are probably the last things on your mind this summer, fall will be here before you know it.
Many national fire safety organizations like the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend having your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected before you light the first fire of the year to be sure everything is working safely and efficiently. When you schedule your chimney maintenance service appointment in the summer, you will be ready to enjoy your fireplace on the first cool day of fall. If you wait until the fall to schedule this visit from All Seasons Chimney, you will probably have to wait a few weeks before you can get an appointment on a date that is most convenient for you. Our busiest season runs from September through December, which is why it can be difficult to quickly get an appointment. Having your chimney swept and inspected in the summer will ensure your fireplace is ready to use this fall. We would like to tell you a bit more about why it is so important to have these professional chimney maintenance services performed before lighting that first fire of the year.

When All Seasons Chimney sweeps your chimney, we make sure to remove every bit of creosote that has accumulated on the inner walls of your chimney.

Named as a leading cause of chimney fires by the CSIA, creosote is a natural compound that develops during the combustion process of burning wood. Over the winter, creosote sticks to the walls of the inside of your chimney and builds up into deposits. If the internal temperature of your flue gets hot enough, these creosote deposits can ignite to start a chimney fire. This is why it is so important to have your chimney professionally swept at least once a year. Removing all of the deposits of creosote greatly reduces your risk of experiencing a possibly devastating chimney fire.

The CSIA-certified chimney sweeps at All Seasons Chimney will inspect your chimney to look for damage and other potential problems.

To reduce your risk of a carbon monoxide leak into your home, we will check to be sure there is nothing blocking your flue. If loose bricks, leaves, sticks, and other debris have created flue blockages, the toxic gases of combustion can be forced back into your home. We will also look at the exterior condition of your chimney to see if there are any damaged or missing bricks and mortar joints, along with any other signs of deterioration. If we find any problems, we will provide you with pictures of the damage as well as a written evaluation about your chimney’s condition.

Beat the fall rush and schedule your annual chimney sweeping today. Contact us at All Seasons Chimney to make an appointment to have your fireplace ready to use this fall.