Finally got that old farmhouse flue liner to seal up right

Got a job out near the county line last week, a real old farmhouse. The homeowner said the fireplace smoked up the room every time they lit it. Figured it was a simple cap or creosote issue. Nope. The terra cotta liner in the clay tile chimney had a crack running almost the full height, but it was hidden behind so much soot it took me an hour of careful brushing just to see it. The quote was for a two hour job. I ended up on site for almost six hours total. Had to use a cast-in-place liner system, which I don't do every day, and getting the mix right for pouring in that tight space was a pain. My back was killing me from being hunched in that firebox. But when we lit a test fire and that smoke went straight up with zero draft into the room, the look on their faces was worth it. Anyone else have a nightmare with those hidden cracks in old liners?

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3 Comments

torres.leo7mo ago

Those hidden cracks are the worst kind of surprise. Cast-in-place is a solid fix for that mess, but man, it's a whole different kind of job. Sounds like you earned that good feeling at the end.

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king.aaron7mo ago

Yeah, @torres.leo, my home repair skills are about as solid as those hidden cracks were.

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maxburns6mo ago

Exactly. It's like that with so many things, not just houses. You patch up the surface problem, but the real issue is hidden and way bigger. Then you have to tear into it and do the harder, longer fix. Always feels good when it's finally done right, but man, the middle part is rough.

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