Chimney liner installation. Code compliance and a longer chimney life.

Aluminum is for low-Btu Category I gas appliances only — typical residential gas furnaces and water heaters. Stainless steel is required for any solid fuel appliance (wood stove, fireplace insert, pellet stove), oil, or high-efficiency gas. When in doubt, stainless. The cost difference pays back in service life.

Most quality stainless liners come with a lifetime warranty for residential use. Real-world life is 25–40 years. Aluminum liners last 10–15 years.

In most cases yes. Stainless liners drop down inside the existing clay tile if there is enough room for the new liner plus insulation wrap. If the tiles are offset or the flue is too narrow, we have to break out the tile from the top — that is a bigger job and quoted separately.

For small joint gaps and minor cracks in otherwise sound tile, HeatShield works and costs roughly half what a stainless liner does. For multiple cracked tiles, missing sections, or any wood stove insert installation, you need a new liner. We do a camera scan first and recommend the right product.

Common issue with new high-efficiency gas appliances. They produce less waste heat, so the flue stays cooler, and exhaust condenses inside an oversized clay flue. The condensate is mildly acidic and eats the masonry from the inside. Fix is to drop in a properly sized stainless or aluminum liner.