How Do I Install Wood Chimney Liners?

A liner is essential if you burn wood in the fireplace. A chimney liner helps keep you and your family safe by preventing smoke or carbon monoxide from leaking into the house. Installing a chimney liner is not a job that you can do on your own. Enlist as many helpers as possible, because you will need them when it comes time to lift the chimney liner onto the roof and install it in the chimney.

• 1

  Prepare the liner by straightening it out on a flat surface and attaching the appliance connector. Place a hose clamp on the connector to hold it in place and then tighten the screws, but do not overtighten them.

• 2

  Measure your chimney from the top of the crown to the place where the appliance connector will end. Add an extra foot to this measurement. Transfer this measurement to the liner and make a cut line with a marker. Cut along the line with a pair of tin snips.

• 3

  Measure the amount of insulation you need to cover the liner and cut to those dimensions. To know where to cut the insulation, measure right above the appliance connector to the top of the liner. This will be the length you will need to cut the insulation. For the width, measure the liner's diameter and multiply that by 3.14 plus 1 inch. The insulation needs to overlap by 1 inch. Don't go over that or the liner may not go into the chimney.

• 4

  Roll the insulation onto a flat surface with the foil side facing to the ground. Place the liner on the foil and wrap the insulation around it. If the insulation is hard to keep in place, spray some spray adhesive to help hold it. Secure the seams with foil tape, spacing them a foot apart. Run a continuous line of foil tape down the length of the seam.

• 5

  Roll out the wire mesh. Fully enclose the entire liner in the wire mesh. Secure one end of the wire mesh to the liner with hose clamps. Make sure the wire mesh is tight against the liner at the other end and secure with hose clamps.

• 6

  Cut off the excess wire mesh with wire cutters.

• 7

  Gather enough people to help you lift the chimney liner to the roof. Be extremely careful while on the roof. You may need one person inside to pull a rope to help the liner come down the chimney. Some kits have a pulling cone or a rope connected to the bottom connector.

• 8

  Center the liner in the chimney, making sure that the appliance connector will go in first. Insert the chimney liner inside the chimney. Push the liner in as far as desired. If you need to cut some of the liner off the top, leave 4 inches so it is equal to the crown.

• 9

  Put a thick bead of silicone caulk around the chimney crown. Attach the top plate over the liner, pressing firmly in place.

• 10

  Secure the liner to the top plate by tightening the quick connect clamp.

• 11

  Place the cap over the top plate. Attach the hose clamp tightly around the cap to keep it in place.