Repair and Restore Liners with HeatShield

The chimney liner is vitally important to the proper operation of a chimney system. Like human skin, the liner is one of the largest parts of the whole system and operates as a barrier that keeps the system working safely and properly. The liner keeps the heat of the fire in its place and prevents the gases and heat from traveling through the masonry and affecting the rest of the home as it rises out of the chimney. When there is damage to the liner, it can put your family and home at risk. The problem is, this type of damage is hidden from sight and may not be recognized right away. When liner damage is reported by a professional, it’s important to schedule a repair right away. When your chimney expert is Hudson Chimney of Jacksonville, Florida, you can count on a repair using HeatShield chimney products.

HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant

No matter how serious your liner damage, we can fix it using HeatShield Cerfractry Flue Sealant. This cerfractory technology combines the strength of ceramic with the heat resistance of refractory HeatShield logomaterial, allowing your chimney professional to repair and restore your liner with an easy application of a specially-formulated hybrid product.

  • The Test of Time – HeatShield was developed over 20 years ago and has withstood the test of time in the industry as well as actual factory-testing before the products hit the market. In fact, HeatShield has been tested against temperatures over 2900 °F. When you choose HeatShield you get a product that is safe for all fuel types, long lasting like a stainless liner, and one that restores the integrity of your chimney’s flue completely.
  • Independent Certified Installers – HeatShield installers are certified and experienced using this product for your liner repairs and restorations. When you hire a professional HeatShield installer, he or she will be factory trained and will use specially designed tools to expertly repair your liner using the only cerfractory sealant on the market.
  • Economical and Eco-Friendly – Made of recycled and naturally occurring materials, HeatShield is a cheaper alternative to replacing your entire liner. With this product, you can have the specific damage repaired only without damaging the rest of the liner.
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty – No matter what your chimney needs, if we use HeatShield to repair or restore it, the product is covered by a limited lifetime warranty.

Joint Repair and Resurfacing with HeatShield

One of the most damaging things that can happen to your liner is that the joints can become riddled with gaps and cracks. When this happens you may find pieces of mortar or clay tile pieces in the fireplace. No matter how extensive the damage, we can restore the joints with HeatShield by placing the product in a custom applicator placed beneath each affected area. As we pull the custom foam blade upward, the product fills cracks and gaps. If the damage is extensive, this process can be used to resurface the entire flue from the bottom to the top, restoring the liner completely.

Using HeatShield products we can clean the flue, repair, resurface, and even reline the flue. Not sure what type of repair your liner needs this summer? Let us take a look. Call Hudson Chimney at 904-282-4159 and we’ll get your flue fixed before fall.

Does Your Chimney Need to be Relined?

The interior of your chimney is often forgotten because the old adage is true: out of sight, out of mind. The chimney’s interior is used and abused all winter long and can become damaged from simple wear and tear, and the homeowner may never know. This is one reason that the yearly chimney inspection is vitally important. This is the only time a professional will look at your chimney from top to bottom.

What is a Liner?

The liner protects the house from the heat of your chimney. In an unlined chimney the heat can transfer from the chimney to structural combustibles. The liner also protects the chimney itself from the corrosive byproducts that exist in the chimney. Without a liner, the chimney is susceptible to erosion contributing to a shorter life. The liner is also essential to your fire’s ventilation. It is professionally installed so that it’s sized specifically for the capacity of the fireplace or appliance. This means that your masonry chimney can be used even if you change appliances and fuels. The chimney can be relined, but won’t require a rebuild.

Signs Your Chimney May Need Relined

  1. You’ve noticed water damage in your fireplace there is most likely damage to the flue liner. If there are water stains on the chimney’s masonry, it has most likely penetrated the liner.
  2. Seeing pieces of your clay liner falling into your fireplace then it needs to be relined. The National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 211 requires that chimney liners be replaced if they are cracked, broken, or missing.
  3. If your liner isn’t appropriate for the type of fuel you’re burning, you need to get another liner installed. Stainless steel liners are the most durable, and appropriate for use with wood, gas, and oil burning fires.
  4. Purchase a new appliance or having your fireplace rebuilt you may need a new liner. The liner should be sized appropriately. Wood stoves and oil furnaces require a correctly sized flue to perform properly. If the chimney doesn’t vent properly you risk flue fires, carbon monoxide intrusion, and decreased efficiency.

The Most Important Time to Have Your Chimney Liner Checked

The most important time to have your chimney liner checked is when you’ve purchased a new home. This is because you probably don’t know anything about your chimney. When you schedule a chimney inspection with a certified chimney sweep you can save money in the future. A chimney expert can catch flue liner damage before it becomes a serious fire hazard, and a chimney expert can repair minor damage without relining!

At Hudson Chimney our technicians are certified HeatShield® technicians. HeatShield® is a cerfractory flue sealant that combines the strength and durability of ceramic and concrete to resurface the chimney lining. It’s ideal for clay flue liners and is rated for use with all fuels. Even if your entire chimney needs relined, HeatShield® is right for you as long as your chimney is structurally sound. This relining process can be just what you need to avoid a complete relining or rebuild.

Hudson Chimney is Jacksonville’s chimney choice for over 30 years. We will put your chimney first every time. Contact Hudson Chimney today to find out how we can help you.

All About HeatShield Chimney Liner Restoring

If you live in an older home with a masonry chimney, it most likely has a clay tile flue liner. Clay tiles have been used to line chimney flues since the beginning of the 20th century, and there are good reasons why. These tiles can withstand extremely high temperatures, and they hold up well against the corrosive byproducts of combustion that pass through the flue on their way out of the chimney. Once installed, clay liners will stay in good shape up to 50 years. However, when the clay tiles become cracked and chipped over time, it can be costly to repair them or to replace the liner as it is a very difficult and time-consuming task. When the HeatShield Chimney Repair and Resurfacing System was developed around 20 years ago in Europe, repairing and relining a clay tile liner became so much easier and less costly. At Hudson Chimney, our technicians are experienced with using HeatShield, and our customers who have had their clay flue liners repaired or replaced with this product have all been very satisfied. We would like to tell you more about HeatShield and what it can do for your clay tile-lined chimney.

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What exactly is HeatShield?

A specially formulated “Cerfractory” sealant material, HeatShield can restore the integrity of your chimney’s flue to vent out toxic gases from your home. Eliminating the dangers in your flue caused by cracks, gaps, and spalling, HeatShield will make your chimney as safe and as efficient as it originally was when first built. Depending on the condition of your clay tile liner, the Joint Repair system or the Resurfacing System will be used.

What does the Joint Repair system do?

If our chimney inspectors at Hudson Chimney only find defective mortar joints in your clay tile liner, we will use the Joint Repair system. First we will make a custom-made foam applicator blade to fit your chimney. Once this tool has been inserted into your chimney and positioned below each gap or void, we will then add the HeatShield Cerfractory Flue Sealant mixture. Each void and gap will be filled, and when we pull out the foam applicator blade, it will smooth the filled gaps and voids as it comes out of your chimney. Then we scan the repair with a special video camera to be sure the repairs have been done correctly.

What does the Resurfacing System do?

If your chimney liner has a cracked or spalled flue but is still sound, we will use the Resurfacing System. Again, we will make a custom-fit foam applicator plug that will be placed at the bottom of the flue and attached to a winch atop the chimney. We then prime and clean your old liner with a “tie coat” material, which is applied to the flue walls by pulling the plug upwards with the winch. After this coat dries, we then apply the HeatShield mixture with the foam plug in the same way we applied the primer. This method is called “slip casting” or “slip cast extrusion.” After this is applied, we will look at the scanned video to be sure your entire chimney is sealed and smoke-tight.

Have more questions about HeatShield? Contact Hudson Chimney to talk to our staff to see if HeatShield is right for your clay tile chimney liner.

How Water Can Damage Your Chimney

If your home has a masonry fireplace, you might know that the Chimney Institute of America (CSIA) has named water as the biggest enemy of your chimney. Water penetration of your chimney is the biggest cause of expensive and extensive damage to the interior and the exterior of your home. Keeping water out of your chimney is the essential key to prevent the deterioration of the entire structure. At Hudson Chimney, our CSIA-certified technicians are well aware of the damage water can do to a masonry chimney, and we can find the leak, repair the damage, and then prevent further water penetration of your chimney. Often asked by our customers how water can be such a big problem, we would like to share three ways water leaks can do lots of damage to a masonry chimney.

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1. Water leaks can cause brick and mortar spalling, which can lead to structural damage.

The exterior bricks and mortar of your chimney suffer a great deal of water exposure, and this water will penetrate into the materials, which causes them to erode. When this trapped water freezes inside your bricks and mortar, the breaking apart, cracking, and loss of masonry materials occurs when the temperatures rise and the water thaws. The expansion of the thawed water can be too much for bricks to endure, which is why they become loose and/or break off of your chimney. This phenomenon is known as spalling, and unrepaired spalling can lead to possible severe structural damage of your chimney. Additionally, water will continue to invade your chimney through the holes provided by the spalled bricks and mortar. If you ever notice loose bricks or mortar on the exterior of your chimney, contact Hudson Chimney for a chimney inspection. We will repair the damage and waterproof your chimney to prevent spalling from occurring again.

2. Water leaks can cause cracks and other deteriorations to your chimney flue liner, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Water penetration not only affects the bricks and mortar of your chimney, but it causes damage to your interior flue liner as well. If you have a clay chimney liner, cracks will form due to water leaks, and if you have a metal chimney liner, rusting will occur from water exposure. Both of these problems can cause your liner to break apart and crack. A cracked liner can be a health hazard since your chimney liner serves to protect you and your family from the by-products of combustion, like toxic smoke and carbon monoxide, from entering your home. At Hudson Chimney, we can repair and restore clay chimney liners with HeatShield, and we can replace damaged liners with a durable stainless steel.

3. Water leaks can cause interior damage to your home, including stained walls and ceilings and mold growth.

Not only does water penetration of a masonry chimney cause many issues to the chimney itself, but a leaky chimney can also stain the ceilings and walls of the room where your fireplace is located. If you find water leak stains in your fireplace room, you should also consider the possibility of mold growth in the ceilings, walls, fireplace, and chimney. Contact Hudson Chimney as soon as possible if you ever see this sort of water penetration damage.

If you have more questions on what types of damage water penetration can do to a masonry chimney, contact Hudson Chimney today. We are happy to help you repair and prevent this kind of damage to your fireplace and chimney.