Chimney Liner Installation for Mount Prospect Homes

What Mount Prospect's housing data means for older flues

According to the CMAP Community Data Snapshot for Mount Prospect, 3.3% of housing units were built before 1940 and 48.2% between 1940 and 1969, and the median year built is 1969 (American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates). That means just over half of the village's housing units were built before 1970.

Age alone doesn't mean a chimney needs a new liner. In general, though, a flue that has served a house for decades has often been through cracked clay tiles, worn mortar joints, or several changes of furnace and water heater. Any of these can leave the original flue damaged or the wrong size. The way to know is to look inside. A chimney inspection in Mount Prospect, including a camera inspection of the flue, shows whether relining is needed or whether cleaning or a smaller repair will do.

Codes and the rental inspection guide: what they change about a new liner

The code editions the Village lists

Mount Prospect's Building & Inspection Services page lists building codes adopted February 15, 2022, including the 2021 International Residential Code, the 2021 Mechanical Code and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (source: Building & Inspection Services, Village of Mount Prospect). In general, the residential code covers chimneys and fireplaces, and the fuel gas code covers how gas appliances are vented. A liner for a wood fireplace and a liner for a gas furnace are planned against different requirements.

Gas appliance venting at rental properties

Source: Village of Mount Prospect Community Development Department, Guide to Rental Property Maintenance Inspection. The guide is written for rental property, so landlords and property managers are the ones it speaks to most directly. Its practical effect on a liner job is that the size of the liner has to match the appliances it serves. A flue sized for an old, less efficient furnace can be too large for a modern replacement. That can leave exhaust cooling and condensing inside the chimney instead of drafting out. When we reline a flue that serves a gas furnace, boiler or water heater, we size the liner to that equipment and check that the connection to it is secure. Commercial and property-manager work is offered, and gas fireplace and gas appliance work is offered.

Chimney liner installation in brief

A liner is the channel inside the chimney that carries smoke and exhaust out of the house. Installation usually starts with inspecting and cleaning the flue. Next comes choosing a liner sized for the fireplace, stove or gas appliance it will serve, running it from the top of the chimney down to the appliance connection, and then sealing and capping the top. Stainless steel liners are a common choice for relining an existing masonry chimney. The full process is laid out under how chimney liner installation works.

When a new liner fits, and when another job fits better

• A new liner fits when flue tiles are cracked or missing, when there's no liner at all, or when the flue is the wrong size for the appliance now using it.
• A repair may be enough when the damage is limited to one section of an otherwise sound liner.
• Cleaning comes first when the problem is creosote buildup, a blockage or an odor rather than a damaged flue.
• Masonry repair or tuckpointing is the job when the brick, mortar or crown on the outside is breaking down.
• A cap, or a chase cover on a prefab chimney, deals with rain and animals getting in from the top. The difference is explained in chimney cap vs chase cover.

Materials and what to expect on installation day are covered under our chimney liner installation service. Everything else we do for homes in Mount Prospect is on the area page.