Why line the chimney?

[Dustin]

A structure fire this early AM. A good reminder why we line our chimneys and proper safe burning practices.



The fire took 2 hours to extinguish and caused about 30k in damage to the structure. My biggest takeaway is obviously the serious amount of creosote burning inside that chimney, and, the obvious improper clearance to combustibles for the masonry chimney. The fire spread to the surrounding structure and ignited it.

Money on an insulated liner is well spent. In my previous home my installer didn't insulate the liner, said it would be fine... I won't do that again. Insulation always.

 

[Coyoterun]

So was there no liner at all in that chimney? Are we seeing flames directly on the inside of that brick in the first picture? Or is there a clay liner? What IS there?

 

[woodchiprookie]

How do you cause $30K of damage to a $10K shack? :D

 

[jetsam]

On Long Island, you'd need $100,000 in repairs to that $300,000 bungalow. (That's our local word for 'shack'.)

 

[Highbeam]

I like how the "chimney" is actually supported by a 4x4 lumber stand. The problem with that chimney is not that it didn't have a proper liner, it's that the chimney was a pile of crap and was never safe. There is nothing unsafe about a properly built masonry chimney. I don't like them for other reasons.