How to Install a Chimney Liner and Damper | This Old House

Creating a safe wood-burning fireplace with This Old House host Kevin O'Connor.

Kevin heads to Dallas to help a homeowner line her fireplace chimney. Installing a chimney liner is a professional job that should only be performed by a qualified technician.

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Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

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How to Install a Chimney Liner and Damper | This Old House

[Brain_quench]

Dispatch: ma'am how'd you burn your hand?
Lady: I forgot to let the damper handle cool off before I grabbed it!

[Sendinglovetotheworld]

I wish it showed this in extreme detail!

[Chuckish]

And it keeps out the squirrels, birds, raccoons and Santa Claus.

[oltedders]

Skipped the part about replacing the brick work in the firebox that was removed at the start of the procedure. The part I was most interested in seeing.

[PatriotTheTree]

I have watched quite a few of these videos now, and I have come to one conclusion. I'm calling someone who knows what the fuck they are doing. Take care y'all. Don't burn your house down.

[Begreen]

The poured in insulation does not guarantee that the liner is not in contact with the chimney brick at points. This is required for the liner to assure zero clearance. It's safer than no liner, but far from as safe as with an insulation blanket.

[thechimneyboys]

Great stuff. One of my early inspirations

[kornykorhorn]

We have an old fireplace, just brick. We were planning on just using this, but after watching this video, we are going to hold off and have a company come in and do it right.

[skeller]

Could this stainless steel liner be used as HVAC duct? It's cheaper to buy this in larger diameter. And I want to use on a wood stove as a heat exchanger. Thanks for any help

[ConnorHeine]

What type of mortar are they using to form the dome inside of the firebox? It doesn’t look like high heat mortar, which is oftentimes a white color and thinner consistency.

[kameronrichardson]

Also once the bottom plate is installed you should use Chamber Tech or a similar high heat mortar to parge the smoke chamber. Not regular mortar. When regular mortar expands and contracts with heat, it will crack .

[hubert-williams]

What is the material cost and labor$$.. and where would you find a bonified pro to do this job?

[lthayer]

Where do I find the part that the sleeve connects to in the fireplace? That looks real handy

[thomasjbradford]

How much does something like this cost?
Thank you

[maroownr]

So once the fire is started what do you do if you realize you didn’t open the damper looks like you’d have to reach in the fire to open it.

[kameronrichardson]

I am a Certified Chimney Sweep and I noticed something the gentleman did in this video that was not proper. The original cap did not allow the damper to fully open. There should be a minimum of 8” from the top of the liner until the top of the cap for the chimney to draft properly. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are having a back drafting issue because the flue is being choked.

[jbones]

My home was built in 1821, my main chimney that is hooked to my furnace has no flue/liner. I want to get a liner installed and a flue is not an option because my chimney runs at an angle.

[joshgore]

What happened to the brick portion that the removed chiney cap sat on, should I assume they filled in the remaining space of the flue, what type motar used for that and inside firebox, this is a video for an idea but if someone didn't ask questions they would possibly burn their house down by following just this video, seeme carelessly done

[jackle]

Can you buy that pipe ovalized like that?

[TNtoolman]

Pretty flimsy damper.  I wish they showed more of the mortar being installed in the firebox... how thick and how difficult to install.  Also, referencing another comment on this page... what is keeping the insulation from dropping to the bottom of the chimney.  TOH seems to show about 75% of installations in many of these videos.  Another minute or so would give the whole story...