Rigid Chimney Liner Advantages
- Rigid stainless steel chimney liners provide smooth, uninterrupted surfaces that creosote can't cling to. These liners fit older unlined chimneys and are relatively inexpensive to install. Steel liners are multipurpose; they work well for wood, oil and gas-burning appliances. Like all rigid chimney liners, steel liners work best in chimneys that go straight up with no bends or curves. Steel liners require little expertise to install, you can put them in place more quickly than clay or cement liners.
- Aluminum chimney liners are much like steel liners; they work well to retrofit homes for gas appliances. These rigid liners are lighter in weight than stainless steel and they're also less expensive. They won't hold up to the combustion byproducts of wood or oil burners, however. Aluminum offers the most benefit for homeowners who need to line their chimneys to add medium-efficiency gas fireplaces or other appliances.
- Clay tile is one of the oldest forms of chimney liner. This material has been in use since the 19th century and has a proven track record. According to Old House Online, tile liners can last 50 years or more when installed correctly. Clay tile is durable and the material itself is inexpensive. It does best in new construction due to the difficulty of retrofitting an unlined chimney with tile. Clay tile also works well to reconstruct an older tile liner that has been damaged by years of use. Clay flue liners are available in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit nearly any chimney. They work with wood-burning, oil or gas appliances.
- Some homeowners choose to line their chimneys using a rigid, poured-in-place cement liner. This technique requires inserting an inflatable tube into the chimney to hold open a space at the center, then filling the voids with light-weight concrete or cement. Rigid cement chimney liners benefit homeowners with unusually sized or shaped chimneys that don't fit other liners well. These liners are impervious to condensation, acid and other combustion byproducts, and they work with any type of fuel. Rigid cement liners tend to last at least 50 years and can be poured over existing clay flues.