We all know about the benefits of insulating the walls in our homes, but a lot of homeowners aren’t aware that their chimney liner can also be insulated and bring several outstanding benefits.
National Chimney Cleaners of Fairfield County, CT, and Morris County, NJ, would like to share a little about how liner insulation can improve the performance of your chimney.
Chimney Liners In Cold Regions Need InsulationOne of the challenges many of us in Connecticut and New Jersey face is keeping our chimneys running at their best during the cold winters. Or more precisely: keeping them drafting smoke up and out of the home instead of sending it back into the house.
Backdrafts and sluggish drafting are often caused by extremely cold air temperatures in the chimney flue. Cold air is heavier than warm air, and it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out what happens when warm smoke and gases try to rise through freezing-cold air.
Whether the entire chimney or just the “stack” part is exposed to the elements, the flue can get cold enough to seriously impede drafting. In addition to smoke backups, a cold flue can cause excess smoke to condense onto the flue liner walls.
Smoke condensation is how creosote is formed. This substance is highly flammable and causes most of the reported chimney fires in Connecticut and New Jersey each year. Built-up creosote can also narrow the flue passage and make drafting even more inefficient.
A related issue is chimney liner erosion, which can happen when the acids in combustion gases and creosote remain on liner surfaces for long periods of time. Acids can eventually eat through a chimney liner, leading to the escape of deadly carbon monoxide, intense heat and flames in the event of a chimney fire.
There are two primary methods for correctly insulating a chimney liner:
As the name implies, this is a blanket-like piece of material made of alkaline earth silicate, which is rated for high temperatures. It makes a far better liner wrap than standard fiberglass home insulation.
A chimney blanket is a good first choice, but if space is an issue around your flue, you’ll want to go with a chimney insulation mix. Quality mixes use a combination of vermiculite and Portland cement that’s poured around the chimney liner. Once hardened, it provides a zero clearance and excellent insulation.
You may be able to do the insulation job yourself, but, as with most chimney repair and modification projects, it’s usually best to bring in a professional who does this kind of work.
Experienced chimney technicians can safely install the insulation and also inspect your chimney to determine if something other than a cold flue is hindering the draft.
If it turns out there’s a huge amount of debris in the flue or the liner is cracked and leaking, your technician can resolve this problem before adding the insulation.
Call Your CT And NJ Chimney ExpertsNational Chimney Cleaners is ready to help with all your chimney needs, from liner insulation and chimney repairs to chimney sweeping and licensed inspections. We know how to keep your chimney in excellent shape all year long.
Give us a call, or reach out with our handy contact form.
