People that look to own older home are usually the type of person with a grand sense of history, and a love for some of the older ways of living. This often includes the older style chimneys that often serve hearths on each floor that have flues that snake within the masonry of the chimney. Chimney maintenance is key in these types of homes because the cost for replacing a chimney of such intricate work can be absolutely astronomical.
One such form of maintenance is chimney relining. Even if you are thorough and exacting with your chimney sweeping schedule, eventually you are going to need to repair or outright replace the lining of the chimney. Plus, with older homes, the chimney may not have been lined in the first place. Taking care of this integral aspect of the chimney will make sure that it will last a long time, and give you many more years of service.
There are different types of liners, so you are going to want to choose the one that works best for your individual home. Clay tile liners are the traditional favorite, and are excellent at standing up to the corrosive power of solid fuel and gas emissions. When clay tile liners cease to be an option, cast in place liners work best. They fit within existing masonry. Many fire safety experts and professional chimney installers prefer metal flues because of the ease in installing them within existing structures.
Whatever you decide to install or repair within your older home, make sure a professional chimney expert performs the work. The last thing you want is to pay a lot of money for shoddy work that is going to end up costing you more in the future. Do your homework and see what chimney companies do the best work. This is going to save you tons in anxiety and cash.