Different Types Of Chimney Flues

Chimney flue is the vertical passageway in a chimney through which smoke, toxic gases and other by-products of the burning fuel pass and expelled into the open air. Are you constructing a house and wondering the best chimney flue to install? Here are the different types that you should consider:

Clay

Clay flues are the most common and preferred by many people as they are both beautiful and inexpensive. When you maintain them properly, the flues have the ability of lasting up to 75 years.

While these flues are great to have, they are susceptible to cracking in the event of chimney fire. The flues are also not ideal for gas fireplaces due to their inability to contain the combustion byproducts produced by gas fires.

Concrete

Also known as cast-in-place flues, you make them by placing a tube down the center of the original chimney walls and then pouring concrete around the chimney walls and allowing it to dry.

The cool thing with these flues is that they are resilient and very long lasting. Their main flaw is that they are expensive. You should note that once you install them you can’t remove them without replacing the entire chimney.

Metal

Most of the metal chimney flues are made from stainless steel; however, there are some that are made from copper and aluminum. The flues are thin and made in the form of a cylindrical tube which you can easily shift around when necessary.

Due to their thinness, you should insulate them to enhance performance and increase safety. Stainless steel chimney flues are ideal for different fireplaces which include: gas, oil and wood. Aluminum fireplaces are less sturdy thus recommended for gas fireplaces.

Although, metal chimney flues are great, you should be cautious when using them in open fireplaces. The flues are usually too small to properly vent the fireplaces.

Multi flues

They consist of more than one flue that travels up the same chimney. These flues are recommended for homes that have more than one fireplace. The flues are made from different materials such as metal, clay and concrete.

Conclusion

These are some of the most popular chimney flues that you can go for. For ideal results you should ensure that the chimney flue installation is done by a certified chimney contractor.

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