Chimney liner comes with a life expectancy of 20 years or more but no matter how well it is maintained eventually it will need to be replaced.
Chimney liner comes with a life expectancy of 20 years or more but no matter how well it is maintained eventually it will need to be replaced.
Are you at the point where the chimney liner for your property needs replacing?
Do you want to know how much this might cost?
In the following article, we’ll break down the cost of having various types of chimney liner installed such as those made of stainless steel and concrete.
We’ll also discuss other important topics such as how to install a chimney liner and how long this work might take.
Our cost guide will prove particularly useful if you are planning to install a new chimney liner soon but also if you’d simply like to expand your understanding of home installation work.
Chimney liner is a conduit that is fitted inside of a chimney. Its purpose is to contain any combustion particles and direct them to the air outside.
This in turn preserves the chimney walls and protects it from corrosion and heat damage. These protective qualities are among the main reasons for the popularity of chimney liner.
Beyond that, it is long lasting and effective.
The average cost of fitting a chimney liner is about £700 to £900. However, the estimated installation cost will vary depending on the type of chimney liner being used.
In terms of the overall cost, it will end up around £500 to £700 for a stainless steel chimney liner or £750 to over £1000 for a concrete or clay chimney liner.
The ceramic chimney liner installation cost will end up between £900 and £1500 or more as is the case for having pumice chimney liner fitted.
This assumes an average chimney size. The labour cost will end up around £200 per day although this will depend on where in the UK you are located.
So, for instance, if you live in London or the southeast of England, you can expect to pay more than the national average but if you are based in the north of England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you will likely be charged less than in most regions.
Other factors that will influence the final cost include the type and size of the chimney and ease of access. Further, the state of the installation area will also play a role as will the inclusion or exclusion of scaffolding.
| Type of Chimney Liner | Installation Cost |
|---|---|
| Stainless Steel | £500 to £700 |
| Concrete | £750 to £1000+ |
| Clay | £750 to £1000+ |
| Pumice | £900 to £1500+ |
| Ceramic | £900 to £1500+ |
Let’s now take a look at the various types of chimney liner that are available.
Each option comes with a variety of features, pros & cons and its own price tag.
In the following subsections, we’ll explore these aspects of each type as well as answering questions such as which option is the cheapest or most expensive.
This type of chimney liner is made with organic rock.
For the best outcome, either a concrete or clay chimney should be employed in dry areas with little precipitation.
It is a great natural insulator just like pumice and clay liners and can therefore work effectively even in warm temperatures.
You can expect concrete liners to last for 30 to 50 years. The installation cost will end up about £750 to £1000 or more.
✔ Perfect for dry areas.
✔ Insulation qualities.
✖ Not as cheap as stainless steel liners.
There are many similarities between a concrete and clay chimney flue liner.
For instance, clay chimney liners are great natural insulators and are particularly suitable for dry regions.
They are also a great option for relining an existing chimney. On average, clay chimney liners should last somewhere between three and five decades.
The cost of fitting a clay chimney liner will also land around £750 to £1000+.
✔ Similar advantages to a concrete chimney liner.
✔ Well suited to relining an existing chimney.
✖ More expensive than SSFLs.
As with the previous two options, pumice chimney liners are also high quality insulators and are suited to warm temperatures.
One unique advantage of pumice chimney liners is how well suited they are to open fireplaces.
They may also be used to reline an existing chimney. Pumice chimney liners will cost about £900 to £1500+, however.
This means that they are the most expensive choice alongside ceramic chimney liners.
✔ GIdeal for open fireplaces.
✔ Similar benefits as concrete and clay chimney liners.
✖ Very costly.
This type of liner is an ideal option for relining a pre-existing chimney cavity.
Stainless steel flexible liners (SSFLs) are as their name suggests, especially flexible and can be moulded with ease.
The two primary types of stainless steel liner are twin skin liners and single skin liners.
The latter is generally used with multi-fuel or timber appliances. Twin skin liners, however are better suited to a masonry chimney or an existing flue.
It costs about £500 to £700 to have a stainless steel liner fitted.
This makes it the cheapest option available. One disadvantage of SSFLs is that they are not as durable as most types of chimney liner with a life expectancy of around 20 years.
✔ Cheapest type.
✔ Flexible flue liner.
✖ Not as long lasting as most other options.
One of the less popular choices is that of ceramic chimney liner.
Ceramic is often a byproduct of clay. It is hard but brittle material that nonetheless has great resistance to heat and durability.
It is generally produced by heating a nonmetallic-based mineral to a high temperature. Often ceramic can be employed to significantly improve the energy efficiency of a chimney.
As with pumice, it too costs about £900 to £1500+ to install making it equally the most costly choice on the market.
✔ Heat resistant.
✔ Durable.
✔ Can significantly enhance a chimney’s energy efficiency.
✖ Brittle.
✖ One of the most expensive options..
Let’s take a look at what installing a chimney liner entails. We’ll now break down each of the steps involved in the process:
As we discussed in the above section, each type of chimney liner has a mix of advantages and disadvantages.
It’s important to weigh these up as well as their costs before deciding on which type is right for you.
It’s essential that the option is also suitable for your chimney and the weather environment in which you live.
Once this decision is out of the way, you’ll need to get in touch with a contractor regarding the installation process.
Next, it’s time to prepare for the actual installation itself.
To begin with, the chimney fitter/tradesperson will need to have a length of rope and a weight.
The rope must be at least 5 metres longer than the height of the chimney.
The rope should then be lowered into the chimney with the weight attached on one end.
A second person should be inside the house at the other end of the chimney, waiting to let the installer know when the rope has reached them.
Alternatively, if the chimney is particularly small, you may use a nose cone and attach the rope to it.
The closing plate should then be placed atop the end of the liner. The top fixing clamp should be clamped in place above.
The first and second person can communicate by shouting through the chimney or another means (such as by phone or walkie-talkie).
Once the liner is being lowered into the chimney, it’s essential that it is straightened firmly so that it doesn’t curl up.
Should the liner get stuck, this can generally be solved by raising it a small amount before trying to lower it once more.
It may be necessary to repeat this on occasions depending on how awkward it is to feed it through to the bottom of the chimney.
At this point, the fix clamp may be lowered down through the chimney liner until it is positioned atop the chimney.
It needs to hold up the weight of the liner and at the correct height.
It may be the case that the installer will have to pull the liner up a small bit prior to it being tightened with the fixing clamp.
The fixing clamp should be installed and recessed within the chimney such that it enables the closing plate to sit flush atop your chimney.
The liner should also be cut to length. The closing must then be positioned directly above the fixing clamp.
This can generally be achieved by taking out some masonry between various bricks.
Alternatively the clamp can be positioned on the top of the closing plate.
However, the fixing clamp still needs to act as a support component since the closing plate is not a support element.
At this point, the chimney liner must be secured before the chimney pot can be added back into place.
Should you have a stove, this can be connected to the chimney line adaptor with the use of rigid flue.
It is important that you do not light your fireplace/stove for at least 24 hours after the installation process is complete.
Before hiring a contractor, you should also consider what extra work may be needed. For instance, chimney repointing will cost about £700.
To have a new chimney cowl installed will set you back between £100 and £200 while to have your chimney swept will cost about £50 to £80.
In most cases planning permission will not apply. However, should it be required it will probably cost you around £150 to £250.
Building regulations do apply but in general, you’ll only need to pay a fee to have a building control officer inspect your work if you are undertaking the job DIY. In this case, it will cost about £200.
Would you rather undertake this work by yourself? So long as you are competent, you may install a chimney liner DIY.
However, since building regulations apply, you will need a building control officer to inspect your work and sign off on it, which as mentioned in the previous section, does come with a fee.
Planning permission is generally not required.
This is because you should be covered by permitted development, whereby planning approval is unnecessary.
Permitted Development Applies If:
As with any DIY project, there are a whole host of risks and hazards involved.
First and foremost, there is a chance of performing the work incorrectly.
However, dangers with a DIY chimney liner instalment can present themselves in more harmful ways due to safety concerns.
For this reason, you should take the necessary precautions.
For example, you should make certain that your ladder is fully secure or have someone else hold it at the bottom for you.
Also, it’s very important to wear protective gloves since the liner edge is very sharp.
Another hazard is that debris could fall down the chimney when lowering the rope or liner.
Only undertake this work if you are confident in doing so. Otherwise, please hire a professional to be safe.
Now that we’ve looked at the chimney liner installation prices, let’s delve into how long the work should take.
On average, it’ll take around 1-3 days to have a chimney liner installed.
This will depend primarily on the type of chimney liner being fitted.
For instance, it may take a day or even just a few hours to install stainless steel liner although for the other types mentioned, concrete, clay, pumice and ceramic liners, it will probably take 2-3 days for the installation process to be complete.
Ease of access and the state of the installation area will also shape the instalment duration.
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In many cases, it should last 30-50 years although in the case of stainless steel flexible liner, its life expectancy is only 15-20 years.
Should your stove pipe come with an access door, take off its cover plate.
Ensure that the wood burner door stays shut during the sweep.
When using the rods, employ a damp cloth on the opening.
The brush that you are using should then be connected to the first chimney rod.
Next, move it slowly through the stove pipe. Add additional rods as you move up the flue.
Avoid pushing and pulling the rods or rotating them as you clean.
If all goes right, you should reach either the chimney cowl cap or pot with around 50cm of chimney rod remaining.
Head out and ensure that the brush is visible.
You can then go ahead and perform the sweep by gradually pulling the rods back down, disconnecting each at a time.
You may need to perform an extra clean due to soot and dust that has made its way down the chimney.
Stainless steel flexible liner is the cheapest option.
HETAS is an independent body which runs the testing and approval of fuels, appliances, equipment and services.
Many contractors will be HETAS approved but whether or not this is necessary will depend on the work among other factors.
Usually about 1-3 days.
