If you want to use your chimney with an open fire, gas fire or a wood burning stove you may have been told that you need to have your chimney flue lined. But why? Well, there are two important reasons for lining your flue.

Reason number one

If you are building a new property with a chimney, the flue must be lined to comply with Document J of current Building Regulations.

Reason number two

For older properties, there are many safety benefits to be gained from having a flue liner.

The most important thing to remember is that the smoke from your open fire or multi-fuel stove or wood burner needs to exit via the flue as quickly and smoothly as possible. Where a chimney is constructed from brick, the bricks may degrade and crumble over time and it is likely that the mortar in between the bricks will degrade as well.

Any sign of degradation of the internal brickwork means that the flue will have to be lined. This is because the flue may leak smoke into another room in the property and also, smoke will travel most efficiently through a smooth flue. Any lumps and bumps caused by the uneven bricks on the way up through the flue will slow down the flow of the smoke; the smoke will cool and leave deposits on the side of the flue. A build up will quickly occur and increase the risk of a chimney fire.

The internal condition of your chimney may look fine at the moment but if you are planning to install a fire or stove and use it regularly then this will have the effect of speeding up the degradation of the brickwork on the inside of the flue due to the heating and cooling of the bricks whilst the fire or stove is being used.

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