Info/thoughts on cement liner

[saichele]

Had a sweep out to check the chimney and they're concerned about the offset - apparently it's tighter than normal.

They're coming back friday to try something different to get a regular 316 liner through it, but failing that I have a number of unpleasant choices
1) break out a bunch of perfectly good tile
2) do a direct connect
3) skip the woodstove all together
4) other things I haven't even thought of.

I once saw on This Old House a system where they stuck a bladder down a chimney and poured something like cement (Thermix maybe?) around it, ending up with effectively a 6 or 7 inch round cement tube up a rubble chimney. I already have clay tiles, but it seems like that would work too.

It seems like that would have better longevity and maybe easier to clean than a conventional stainless, and wouldn't require paying to destroy stuff. What are the pros and cons to the approach?

Thanks
Steve

 

[bholler]

I have not been at all impressed with the poured liners i have worked on they done seem nearly as durable as stainless from my experience. I don't understand why everyone here is so dead set against breaking out liners, It really is not that big of a deal to do and it allows you to get proper insulation on the liner.

 

[saichele]

So you're saying they might have a shorter lifespan than a SS liner? I had heard most SS liners needed to be replaced after 10-15 years.

I'm not dead set against breaking out the tile, but I do sort of hate to pay for destruction. If it plays out that's how we have to go I will, but I want to make sure I understand the options.

Steve

 

[bholler]

ss liners should last at least 20 years if not more we work on many that are 30 years old and still fine. It is rare that they need replaced at 10 to 15 years unless they are abused. I don't install the poured ones my only experience if cleaning them and they don't clean as well and they tend to shed a little bit of the cement every time we clean them. I cant say they are a bad product but i think stainless is better. If we were doing the job we would insist on breaking the tiles out in order to insulate the liner we dont install any without insulation.

 

[MJFlores]

Sorry to HiJack the thread...BHoller you mention insisting on breaking out the tiles. How "rough" is this exactly? Will it damage the brick, or liners in existing when there's a multi flu chimney, interior sheet rock, etc? Always wondered how much vibrating that task caused and how you'd prevent other damage from happening while the tile is being broken.

 

[bholler]

Well in some cases it cannot be done usually when it is a multi flue chimney without wythe walls between the flues and occasionally if the chimney is in really bad shape. But if the chimney is sound and the flues are separated there is very little risk of damaging anything. That being said it should not be attempted without the proper equipment and some experince