Chimney Liner Installation for Palatine Homes

What Palatine's adopted codes mean for a new flue liner

Palatine's residential building permit guide says projects are reviewed for compliance with the 2021 International Residential Code (with amendments), the 2021 International Mechanical Code (with amendments) and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (source: Obtaining a Residential Building Permit: Submittal Requirements, Village of Palatine Community Development Department). A chimney liner is part of a venting system, so these codes apply when you reline a flue. They cover the fireplace and any gas appliance that shares the chimney.

Appendix AB: sizing the vent for draft-hood appliances

The Village of Palatine adopted the 2021 International Residential Code with appendices that include Appendix AB on sizing venting systems for draft-hood appliances (source: Village of Palatine - Building Code Information). This matters when a chimney flue liner will serve a gas furnace or water heater with a draft hood. The liner should be sized for the appliance it serves. Matching the size of the old clay tile or the chimney opening isn't enough. A liner that's too large or too small for the appliance can draft poorly. Before we recommend a size, we confirm which appliances vent into the flue.

Appendix AD: the appliance already in place

The same adoption includes Appendix AD on safety inspection of existing appliance installations (source: Village of Palatine - Building Code Information). A chimney liner replacement usually connects to equipment that's already in the basement or living room. The connection at the bottom of the liner deserves the same attention as the liner itself. If you're relining for an older furnace or water heater, have the appliance and its connector looked at during the same visit.

Rental homes: venting on the inspection checklist

The Village of Palatine's interior rental dwelling inspection checklist requires furnaces, water heaters and boilers to be properly vented to the outside of the dwelling, with vent pipes properly attached (source: Village of Palatine Neighborhood Services Division - Rental Dwelling Inspection Checklist (Interior)). If you own or manage a rental and one of these appliances vents through a masonry chimney, fix a deteriorated flue or a loose connection before an inspection. We do property-manager and commercial work, and we do gas appliance work, so we can handle the liner and the appliance connection together.

The job in brief

Chimney liner installation means fitting a new liner inside an existing chimney. It's usually a stainless steel chimney liner, run from the top of the chimney down to the fireplace, stove or appliance, connected at the bottom and finished at the top. It's the right job when the old liner is cracked, missing or the wrong size for what now vents through it. It's also needed when a new appliance goes in. Materials, sizing and each step are covered under how chimney liner installation works.

When relining fits, and when something else fits better

• Relining makes sense when a camera or visual inspection finds a flue liner that's broken, gapped or badly deteriorated, or when a gas appliance needs a properly sized vent.
• A smaller fix may be enough when only a section of an otherwise sound stainless liner is damaged. Liner repair is often the better first step.
• The masonry may be the real issue if water, loose brick or a failing crown is behind the damage. Start with chimney repair in Palatine so the new liner doesn't go into a leaking chimney.
• The top of the chimney matters too. Whether your chimney needs a cap or a chase cover depends on how it's built, and our guide to chimney cap vs chase cover explains the difference.

Booking a liner installation

We work on all major fireplace and stove brands. The full scope of the work is laid out on our chimney liner installation service page, and the chimney, fireplace and dryer vent work we do in the area is gathered on our Palatine page. Request an estimate to get started.