99 cities and towns covered
Chimney Relining in Connecticut
Connecticut does more relining than most states, for one reason: when a household switches from oil to gas, the flue it inherits is far too large for the appliance now in it.
Leave the building and call from outside — that is an emergency services call, not a service call. A blocked or failed flue is one of the ways carbon monoxide reaches a living space, and headaches that clear when you leave the house point the same way. If you have had a chimney fire — a roaring sound, dense smoke, or debris on the roof — do not light another fire until the flue has been inspected.
Call about chimney relining
(844) 785-4066Free to use, and there is nothing to pay us. You are never committed to going ahead.
What happens when you call
- You describe the problem and where you are.
- We put you in touch with a licensed contractor covering that area.
- They arrange the visit and agree the price with you directly.
Worth having to hand
- Roughly how old the system is
- What it is doing — or not doing
- Your ZIP code
What to ask for on Chimney Relining
- Stainless liners sized to the appliance
- Insulated where the installation requires it
- Gas, oil and wood applications
- Lifetime-warranted liner systems
- Licensed & insured We match you with contractors who hold current licensing and cover.
- Know what to ask Every page says what decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
- Free to use We never charge you. Compare quotes and walk away at any point.
- Same-day reply Inquiries answered the day they arrive, usually within a couple of hours.
How it works
Three steps, no obligation at any of them.
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1
Call and tell us what is wrong
Describe the problem and give us your ZIP code. We match you with a chimney company covering your area — there is nothing to fill in and nothing to pay us.
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2
A local contractor gets in touch
A local chimney company contacts you to discuss the problem and arrange a visit. What they charge to attend or diagnose is theirs to set, so agree it with them up front.
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3
You decide
Book the work, wait a season, or get a second quote. There is no obligation to go ahead with the contractor we introduce you to, and nothing to pay us either way.
What these repairs look like
Illustrative examples of the work described here. More in our disclaimer.
Why the flue is the wrong size after a conversion
An old oil boiler produces a large volume of hot flue gas, and the chimney was built to carry it. A modern gas appliance produces far less, and it produces it cooler. Put the second into the flue built for the first and the gases lose heat to all that masonry long before they reach the top.
Cool flue gas condenses. The condensate is acidic, it soaks into mortar joints and flue tile, and it works on them continuously through every heating season. Meanwhile the flue does not draw properly, which is a combustion problem as well as a masonry one.
A correctly sized stainless liner solves both at once. It gives the appliance the diameter it was designed to vent into, it keeps the gases hot enough to reach the top as gas rather than liquid, and it isolates the masonry from anything corrosive.
Sized from the appliance, not from the chimney
The diameter comes from the appliance manufacturer's venting tables, not from what will fit down the existing flue. That distinction matters — a liner that is merely smaller than the chimney is not the same as a liner that is correct for the boiler.
When insulation is required
An exterior chimney, a long run, or a flue on an unheated wall will cool the liner enough to condense even at the right diameter. A wrap or a pour insulation keeps the gases warm. It is not an upsell in those situations; it is what makes the installation work.
What relining involves
A flexible stainless liner is fed from the top of the chimney down to the appliance connection, secured with a top plate and clamp at the crown, and connected at the bottom with a tee. Where insulation is specified it is wrapped on before the liner goes in, or poured around it afterwards.
Most of the work happens on the roof. Where a chimney bends sharply, has an offset, or has a partial blockage of old tile, the job becomes considerably more involved and sometimes requires breaking into the chimney at the offset.
What makes one quote higher than another
Diameter, length, whether insulation is included, how many bends the chimney has, and whether the crown and top plate need rebuilding to seat the liner properly. Ask for those itemized rather than comparing headline figures.
Warranty is worth reading
Good stainless liner systems carry a lifetime warranty, but almost all of them make it conditional on professional installation and on the chimney being swept and inspected annually. Ask what the condition is, because an unregistered or unmaintained liner is frequently an uncovered one.
Relining that is not about a conversion
Not every liner goes in because the fuel changed. A camera survey that finds cracked tiles, washed-out joints or a separated liner is describing a flue that is letting combustion products into the chimney structure, and that has to be addressed whatever the appliance.
After a chimney fire
A chimney fire can crack flue tile along its length, and the damage is not visible from either end. Any chimney that has had a fire needs a Level 2 inspection, and relining is a common outcome.
Wood stoves in older chimneys
Through the Litchfield hills and the eastern towns, wood stoves are frequently vented into masonry flues built for an open fireplace. That flue is oversized for the stove, it will not draw properly, and it lays down creosote fast. An insulated stainless liner sized to the stove is the correct fix.
Chimney Relining — frequently asked questions
Do I definitely need a liner when converting to gas?
In the overwhelming majority of Connecticut conversions, yes. The existing flue was sized for a much larger oil appliance. Ask the installer to show you the appliance venting table rather than taking it on trust either way.
How long does a stainless liner last?
Good systems are warranted for the life of the home, conditional on professional installation and annual maintenance. The failure mode in practice is corrosion from an appliance it was not rated for, or from never being swept.
Can a liner be fitted if the chimney bends?
Usually. Flexible liner handles offsets that rigid pipe cannot. A severe offset may require opening the chimney at that point, which changes the cost, and a good surveyor will tell you before quoting rather than after starting.
Is a cast-in-place liner better than stainless?
Different tool for a different problem. Cast-in-place is poured to form a new flue inside the old one and can add structural strength to a deteriorated chimney. It costs more and takes longer. For a straightforward conversion, stainless is the normal answer.
Does the liner have to be insulated?
Not always, but it should be on exterior chimneys, long runs and cold walls — anywhere the gases will lose enough heat to condense. If a quote omits insulation on an exterior stack, ask why.
Chimney Relining near you
We cover cities and towns across Connecticut.