flex liner advice please

[KTLM]

Hi all
I'm almost ready to put a flex liner in an unlined masonry chimney. I have done some research and noticed that each brand of flex liner is the best on the market. Prices vary greatly. I just want a safe chimney when finished. Any advice from experience is appreciated. Thanks
Kevin

 

[KarlP]

I’ve only used Simpson DuraVent flex liner. I think its a good product, but I’d never use it again. In the five years between when I installed my fathers and installed my own, Simpson decided there is absolutely no warranty for their product if it is ordered over the Internet AND you do a self install. I was surprised to read that when the second batch was delivered.

If you want to order it at full price from your local stove dealer and install it yourself OR order on the Internet and then hire a Simpson approved professional installer to install it there is a warranty.

(broken link removed to http://www.duravent.com/docs/L210_09.pdf)

There are plenty of brands out there that DO provide warranties for mail order + self install, so I'll look elsewhere in the future.

 

[ddddddden]

When you say that your masonry chimney is unlined, do you mean that it has no clay flue tiles? If so you will want/need to insulate the stainless liner for safety reasons. . .improves draft performance too. I went with Insulflex by Magnaflex and am very pleased with it. It comes assembled with the insulation held in place on the stainless liner by an outer aluminum liner. PM Magnaflex for a good deal. There were some questions about the UL status when the product was new, but I believe it has been tested since then. The other option is to put the insulation on yourself with spray adhesive and a wire mesh to hold it in place. Price is about the same either way.

 

[ddddddden]

p.s. The Magnaflex warranty includes DIY installs, and I think the warranty is transferable too.

 

[KTLM]

Thanks for the responses. That info does help greatly as I have no past experience to rely on.

 

[Fsappo]

Bernard Dalsin will warranty their liner even with a self install providing it was installed properly. Not transferrable. Not gonna talk price here because this isnt for selling, but if you find a BD dealer you may find their price isnt too far off from the intraweb prices. I sell lots of kits here locally to the "walk into your showroom with the online price quotes" crowd. I'm never cheaper, but cheap enough to guilt them into buying locally.

The threat of me burying them alive if they shop online helps.

 

[ddddddden]

Yes. (broken link removed)

 

[KTLM]

Thanks again for the additional info. Den, I didn't intentionally ignore your question. Ours is an old masonry chimney, no liner of any kind. Was a basement fireplace, crafted from chiseled stone, and still has a steel swing bar I assume for cooking. It is not something that has been used for many years. The top of the chimney has been taken down below the roof line so I'm still deciding how to deal with that. If I can catch up with technology, I'll get a few pics when I'm finished.
Kevin

 

[ddddddden]

No problem. If you scroll down, there's a recent thread called How to extend a chimney. Maybe piggy back on that thread. . .