Two Liners, Different Jobs
When a flue liner fails, you have two paths: replace the clay tiles or install a stainless steel liner. Both are legitimate. The right choice depends on your chimney's condition — here's the honest comparison.
Clay Tile Liners
What they are: The traditional liner — square or rectangular clay sections stacked inside the chimney, the way most chimneys were originally built.
Strengths: When the existing clay liner is mostly sound with limited damage, replacing just the bad sections preserves the original system at lower cost. It's the right fix for localized problems.
Weaknesses: Clay is brittle — it cracks from thermal stress and moisture, which is why you're in this situation. Individual tile replacement is surgical work with limited access; if damage is widespread, you're paying for surgery all over.
Stainless Steel Liners
What they are: A continuous metal liner — flexible or rigid — dropped inside the existing flue and insulated. One unbroken passage from top to bottom.
Strengths: No joints to fail. Handles thermal cycling and acidic flue gases far better than clay. Properly sized and insulated, it improves draft. Lifespan measured in decades. It's the standard recommendation for widespread tile damage.
Weaknesses: Higher upfront cost than spot tile replacement. Requires proper sizing — a liner that's wrong for the appliance causes draft problems, which is why the sizing calculation is part of the job, not an afterthought.
How We Recommend
Camera inspection first — you see the footage. Limited damage to a few tiles with the rest sound: tile replacement. Widespread cracking, missing tiles, or a flue that needs resizing for the appliance: stainless. We'll show you why, not just tell you.
Our relining service covers the full process. Send the form to schedule the camera inspection.