How to Install a Chimney Liner

In many cases, such as a cast-in-place chimney liner, it’s necessary to hire the pros. But, never fear! With metal chimney liners you can install it yourself without paying a contractor to do it for you. There are some situations where a DIY weekend project just isn’t enough, but installing a stainless steel chimney liner is easy with our basic chimney liner kits.  These kits have everything you need—except you and the tools to get the job done!

Before you install your new chimney liner, there are a few pre-installation tasks that you need to do.

First, you’ll need to clean the chimney out. This includes any kind of obstruction or debris, such as broken tiles from an old clay tile chimney liner. Once you’ve removed any debris, you’ll need to hire a chimney sweeper or do it yourself with our products! It’s a messy task, but it can save you money when it comes to your fireplace maintenance.

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to inspect your chimney. Are there any cracks or missing bricks or stones? A cracked chimney is never a good sign and though it may be minor now, it can deteriorate and lead to a collapsed chimney. If it is damaged beyond missing clay tiles, call in professionals who can assess the damage. 

There isn’t any damage, next you’ll want to measure your chimney. You’ll want to buy the largest chimney liner kit that’ll fit into your flue (the inside of your chimney) while the linear size is determined by who made the chimney and your county’s safety codes. You’ll need to measure the inside dimensions of your flue and from the top of your chimney down to the top of your fireplace. It’s important that your metal chimney liner kit not be too small as it can increase the chances of a fire and fill the room full of smoke.

Now that you have your measurements and county codes, it’s time to buy!

When you install your metal chimney liner, gravity is your friend and you’ll need to bring one more to help out. Use a winch to lower your flexible chimney liner down so that guiding is a little easier. It’s important to go slowly too, the last thing you want to do is damage your stainless steel chimney liner. Once it is in place, screw on the top plate at the top of your fireplace to keep it in place and keep smoke from getting into the house. You’ll also want to install the tee’s snout at the base of the chimney by separating the tee and attaching it to the chimney liner with the fasteners provided.

Once you have the liner secure, seal it with a furnace cement product such as a high temperature silicone. Make sure to seal all of the joints and then, following coding requirements and your manufacturer’s written instructions, connect the vent connector to the tee adapter.

Though installation ends there, it’s a really good idea to insulate your chimney. This allows your new metal chimney liner to stay cleaner and longer, which means less work for you, and it also gives your fireplace a better draft. You can insulate your new chimney liner and chimney by pouring a vermiculite and cement mixture between the chimney liner and chimney stone or brick. This will allow it to heat up quicker and distribute heat faster as well has help stabilize an older chimney. Read more about insulating your chimney here!

We have a lot of products you can use to turn your chimney into a beautiful addition to your home. But, beauty is only firebox deep when it comes to your fireplace. You need to make sure your firebox and your chimney are in good shape and maintained regularly. After all, a good chimney can protect your home from fires and improve your fireplace!

*If you have a zero-clearance fireplace be sure that your basic chimney liner kit meets UL1777 standards.