You may need to purchase a stainless steel chimney liner if the clay liner in your existing chimney has been damaged. A stainless steel chimney liner can also be installed simply to improve your existing chimney's draft. Some may favor a stainless steel chimney liner over a clay liner for the construction of a new chimney. The reason a stainless steel liner is preferred in most cases over a clay liner is that stainless steel is known for its ability to resist corrosion. Some stainless steel liners are sold with a limited lifetime guarantee as well.

Where Can I Purchase a Stainless Steel Chimney Liner for My Home?

At Copperfield Chimney Supply you can find stainless steel liners, as well as fireplaces, inserts, and wood burning stoves. The liners available from Copperfield Chimney Supply are made for fast and easy installation that doesn't require screws of other attachments.

Having a stainless steel chimney liner will protect your home and improve the efficiency of your fireplace as well. At Copperfield Chimney Supply, you will find many of the latest styles of chimney liners that can help you in protecting your home and your family. They provide you with only the latest highest quality chimney liners at reasonable prices. You can see their entire line of products at their web site www.woodstoves-fireplaces.com .

Stainless Steel Chimney Liner Available in Any Sizes You Need

When you need a stainless steel chimney, liner it is good to have them available to you in any size you need for your chimney. They carry liners that will fit all of the standard chimney sizes as well as custom sizes available. Many of the normal chimneys are six inches to eight inches in diameter so finding the right size for your chimney is important. You will have to measure you chimney to ensure a perfect fit. The better the fit the safer your chimney will be.

"I have a file that says 'chimney'," said Bonnie Ford, a professional organizer, who got a fast education about chimneys at her former home in Fair Lawn.

Her nightmare began last October, about six weeks after Hurricane Irene slammed New Jersey and around the time chill blankets the air. As the seasons shift, many people, including Ford, have their chimneys and fireplaces checked in preparation for winter fires.

Not remembering her previous chimney sweep from a few years before, Ford took advantage of a $29.99 coupon from SuperCoups. The sweep came, and her husband remained home while she went to the supermarket.

By the time she got home from ShopRite an hour later, her chimney had been dismantled, lying on the ground. The sweep had told her husband that there was extensive brick damage caused by the hurricane, and the chimney was structurally unsafe. The routine cleaning ultimately morphed into a rebuild of the exterior chimney for which, Ford said, the sweep wanted $24,000.

Industry professionals say there are many misconceptions about chimneys and fireplaces, and whether you are an owner or a buyer or seller, you need to be proactive: educate yourself about your chimney and its maintenance, and conduct due diligence to avoid scams in this unregulated industry.

Last month, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs filed suit in Superior Court in Hackensack against two Bergen County-based home improvement companies, AAA Reliable Inc. and Old Reliable Construction LLC. The suit alleges that company workers would falsely tell customers they had serious chimney problems, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair. In a few instances, workers allegedly damaged chimneys and roofs intentionally, creating hazardous conditions which had not previously existed.

The companies allegedly targeted senior citizens, many of whom were among the more than 50 complainants. The companies agreed to temporary restraints, which essentially stopped them from operating and advertising while the case is pending, said Jeff Lamm, spokesman for the DCA. Attorneys for the companies did not respond to a request for comment.

"Unfortunately, the chimney industry in the state of New Jersey is quite a disaster," said Michael Segerstrom, owner of Bridgewater Chimney Sweeps and past president of the New Jersey Chimney Sweep Guild.

He said there was legislation proposed several years ago to regulate the industry, but it needed to be rewritten.

"It's still floating around but hasn't made it back to committee," said Segerstrom, who is also a board member of the Chimney Safety Institute of America, a nationally recognized non-profit educational organization.

Many variations

Segerstrom said people would be amazed at how many schemes and strategies are out there.

"The only way to get rid of bad chimney sweeps is public awareness," he said.

In the Fords' case, though they asked several times how much the completed job would cost, the sweep said he would not know for sure until he had dismantled the chimney. Several times, she said, he told them, "Don't worry. Insurance will pay for it."

They gave him a $1,000 cash deposit and put $10,000 on her credit card toward the additional work. But when he quoted $24,000 for the rebuild, "I flipped out," she said.

"I said to him, 'Before you touch another brick, I want a second estimate,' " she said.

Over the next few days, she found several chimney cleaning businesses that had different names but the same address as the chimney sweep who had come to her home.

"This is when I started to get a little bit of brains," said Ford.

Within 72 hours of his being at her house and getting a permit for the work, she got three other estimates — ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 — and stopped the credit card payment.

"He didn't even fight it," she said.

If you are remodeling your home and installing a new fireplace or wood burning stove, you should install all new chimney pipe venting and not reuse any existing pipe from the old system. There could be a buildup of creosote in the old pipes and manufactured chimneys are not interchangeable. You can obtain chimney accessories and pipes, as well as venting ideas from Copperfield Chimney Supply .

There are two different basic types of chimney lines available for people to use when constructing a chimney for their fireplace or wood stove. One type people use is clay liners which are used with brick masonry chimneys. However, clay liners can become damaged over time and will need replacing later. Another type of liner available for your chimney is stainless steel liners. You can even use steel liners with a brick chimney in place of the clay liner.

Steel Chimney Liners and Pipes Should Be the Same Brand

You should never mix and match parts for your chimney because different brands may not be compatible with one another. Stainless Steel chimney liners and chimney pipes should be the same brand name, which provides you with the knowledge that all the parts are compatible and will connect together correctly. You can obtain chimney pipes and liners online from Copperfield Chimney Supply which will allow you to complete any size chimney project.

There are different colors of metal chimney pipe available with black stove pipe being popular for connecting wood stoves to a chimney. Another style that people use is stainless steel pipes which can be used on fireplaces and wood stoves. When it comes to selecting the type of pipe you desire, you should always use the same manufacturer for the entire chimney to ensure all pieces will be compatible and connect together correctly.

Chimney Pipe for Your New Chimney

When needing to add a chimney to your home for your fireplace or wood stove, you should consider placing the chimney in the interior of the home and away from the outside walls. Placing the chimney in the interior will retain more heat than when placing the chimney along an exterior wall. You can obtain all the chimney pipe you need for your chimney from Copperfield Chimney Supply , which carries quality hearth products for the entire home.