Guidance on Chimney Liner

[Agiancarli]

Hi Everyone,

I purchased my home in 2008 (NJ) and the fireplace had an old (heavy) cast iron insert. I removed the insert and did not replace it with anything. Home was built in 1958. I removed the metal damper (cut it out - just the metal flap) and stuffed insulation in its place. The fireplace had not been used since.

I purchased an Vermont Castings Aspen model wood stove this past summer from someone. Planning on installing stove and need some guidance.

I have a ranch style home and need to install a chimney liner. Fireplace is on exterior wall. These are my questions:

1. What type of liner should I use? I assume stainless steel is better than aluminum. What specs on the liner (thickness, type, insulation type, etc.)
2. Can you recommend a reputable supplier with a fair price?
3. The fireplace damper slot is about 5” wide. With liner insulation, I’m going to have to enlarge the opening or install some type of oval transition. Thinking about cutting the metal damper frame with my cut-off saw to enlarge center to allow liner installation.
4. I have watched installation videos on YouTube. Any further advice on installation that I need to watch out for (you know..... the “gotcha” ones).

Thank you everyone for your help in advance. It’s much appreciated.

Anthony Giancarli
New Jersey

 

[estepracing]

In my experience this past winter when I needed a chimney liner done it was going to cost me $1,400 for materials it only cost me $1,500 to have it put in by a professional and that is the way I went, but yes with a wood-burning Appliance you will need stainless steel. If you have any further questions just ask I had done a fair amount of research on this...

Hi Everyone,

I purchased my home in 2008 (NJ) and the fireplace had an old (heavy) cast iron insert. I removed the insert and did not replace it with anything. Home was built in 1958. I removed the metal damper (cut it out - just the metal flap) and stuffed insulation in its place. The fireplace had not been used since.

I purchased an Vermont Castings Aspen model wood stove this past summer from someone. Planning on installing stove and need some guidance.

I have a ranch style home and need to install a chimney liner. Fireplace is on exterior wall. These are my questions:

1. What type of liner should I use? I assume stainless steel is better than aluminum. What specs on the liner (thickness, type, insulation type, etc.)
2. Can you recommend a reputable supplier with a fair price?
3. The fireplace damper slot is about 5” wide. With liner insulation, I’m going to have to enlarge the opening or install some type of oval transition. Thinking about cutting the metal damper frame with my cut-off saw to enlarge center to allow liner installation.
4. I have watched installation videos on YouTube. Any further advice on installation that I need to watch out for (you know..... the “gotcha” ones).

Thank you everyone for your help in advance. It’s much appreciated.

Anthony Giancarli
New Jersey

Blaze King King Wood Stove

 

[bholler]

Hi Everyone,

I purchased my home in 2008 (NJ) and the fireplace had an old (heavy) cast iron insert. I removed the insert and did not replace it with anything. Home was built in 1958. I removed the metal damper (cut it out - just the metal flap) and stuffed insulation in its place. The fireplace had not been used since.

I purchased an Vermont Castings Aspen model wood stove this past summer from someone. Planning on installing stove and need some guidance.

I have a ranch style home and need to install a chimney liner. Fireplace is on exterior wall. These are my questions:

1. What type of liner should I use? I assume stainless steel is better than aluminum. What specs on the liner (thickness, type, insulation type, etc.)
2. Can you recommend a reputable supplier with a fair price?
3. The fireplace damper slot is about 5” wide. With liner insulation, I’m going to have to enlarge the opening or install some type of oval transition. Thinking about cutting the metal damper frame with my cut-off saw to enlarge center to allow liner installation.
4. I have watched installation videos on YouTube. Any further advice on installation that I need to watch out for (you know..... the “gotcha” ones).

Thank you everyone for your help in advance. It’s much appreciated.

Anthony Giancarli
New Jersey

For a firplace install you are going to want a flexible stainless liner. There are several different thicknesses and types available. The cheapest is the standard lightwall liner. It is corregated with a crimped seam. They are either .005" or .006". They work and hold up ok but you will get a much longer life out of a thicker liner. Next is the only one that i personally would avoid at all cost. It is a light wall smooth inner wall liner and they simply are not very durable. Then you have midweight liners that have an interlocking seam and are .010" thick and smooth wall. Last flexible one is heavy wall. It is the same as the midweight but is .014 or .015". We only use mid or heavy wall for wood stoves. Then there is insulation which you need. You can get preinsulated liners or bare liners with wrap insulation kits. Either work fine. There is also pour in insulation but i would not recomend that for a fireplace install or diy.

There is also duraliner which is a lining system that is pre insulated rigid sections with flexible sections available to get through the damper.

Those are the basics if you need to know more just ask

 

[Agiancarli]

- Thank you estepracing for your reply.

- Bholler,
Thank you for your reply. Is there a supplier you would recommend? Also, any thoughts on cutting the damper frame to fit the liner through the throat?

Anthony

 

[bholler]

- Thank you estepracing for your reply.

- Bholler,
Thank you for your reply. Is there a supplier you would recommend? Also, any thoughts on cutting the damper frame to fit the liner through the throat?

Anthony

I only buy from pro suppliers so i dont have allot of input for diy suppliers.

As far as the damper yes you want to cut it. A sawzall will work but i prefer an angle grinder. You also may need to pop out a few bricks as well.

 

[estepracing]

RockfordChimneySupply.Com great customer service you can call them ask them any questions they will hook you up with everything you need and if there's any special tools you need they even rent them and ship them to you...

Blaze King King Wood Stove

 

[bholler]

RockfordChimneySupply.Com great customer service you can call them ask them any questions they will hook you up with everything you need and if there's any special tools you need they even rent them and ship them to you...

Blaze King King Wood Stove

I have heard some very bad and downright dangerous info given by diy suppliers in the past including rockford. The products they sell are fine but i would double check their advice.

 

[bholler]

- Thank you estepracing for your reply.

- Bholler,
Thank you for your reply. Is there a supplier you would recommend? Also, any thoughts on cutting the damper frame to fit the liner through the throat?

Anthony

One thing that is often overlooked and can be quite dangerous is cleaning the chimney very well before the install. And if yours had an unlined insert in it it could be pretty dirty and hard to clean.

 

[Agiancarli]

OK, thank you for all your help. I’ll let you know if I have any other questions.

 

[Newhomeowner]

I'm in the same boat!! I have read both a ron if info about some using liners, and some not. We have a terracotta lined fireplace in the basement that is enormous, and we want to add a freestanding wood stove. We had the chimney inspected, and is in good working order. Someone removed the flue, and must have had a stove down there before. Can't I just run several feet of a stainless liner from the new stove up the chimney? We have a second fireplace on the first floor, where the back is visible from inside the garage. We use this fireplace to burn wood because "its pretty" not in a stove. It has a thimble (called that?) And a secondary ash clean out directly on the chimney. Can't I run a small wood stove to heat the garage through that without a liner (also terracotta lined and inspected? Why else would it be there? We are having the chimneys cleaned first before this. They want $2300 for the install. I can get a new no frills stove for $600 plus venting if I do It myself.
We want to be safe, but money is money...

 

[begreen]

I'm in the same boat!! I have read both a ron if info about some using liners, and some not.
We want to be safe, but money is money...

New thread here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/new-to-the-sport-terracotta-questions.169860/

 

[regency]

Thought I read somewhere that the .005 is of better quality than .016 etc.? I believe it was due to the fact that it takes a better metal to be rolled that thin

 

[bholler]

Thought I read somewhere that the .005 is of better quality than .016 etc.? I believe it was due to the fact that it takes a better metal to be rolled that thin

Not true at all. They use the same metal most of the thinwall stuff is 316 but either thickness can be had in 316 or 304