Repairs & Estimates
MFC is a one-person company, primarily focused on service and maintenance. Large repair projects, stove installations, and inspections for the purpose of the sale of home and property are not taken on. MFC is not a licensed plumber, and does not perform gas work (i.e. conversions, diagnostics, or repairs for gas fireplace appliances or home-heating systems).
Occasionally, smaller masonry repairs and home-heating system chimney liner installations can be performed. A photo submission from the property owner is required for estimate pre-screening before an appointment is scheduled. Estimate services are NOT free, and an inspection fee is charged. Inspection fees are typically credited towards the cost of municipal permits (if applicable).
If you feel your chimney requires extensive care, it's best to consult with a larger, repair-based company. I do not receive a finders fee for the referrals listed below, and you do not have to mention me by name.
The most frequently occurring reason for new chimney liner installation is R1003.12, found in Chapter 10 "Chimneys & Fireplaces" under the IRC. Conventional cement (sand-mortar mix) joints are not water-insoluble, and will become loose, sandy, and gritty over the years, and will eventually fall out. This will lead to gaps and openings between clay flue tiles at every two-foot iteration. If the chimney structure undergoes thermal shock (chimney fire), conventional cement joints are "blown out" due to not being made from high-heat rated refractory mortar. Soot and flammable creosote will be able to circumvent flue tiles, and become trapped in the air spaces between the chimney's outer shell and interior flue liner, rendering basic chimney sweeping all but useless for preventing future chimney fires.
Regardless of condition, when converting fuel types (wood-to-gas for fireplaces and oil-to-gas for home-heating systems), liner installation will be required. This includes appliance replacement for similar fuels (changing out a hot water tank). Municipal building departments now issue a "chimney verification certificate" in plumbing permits, to which your plumber or HVAC company will have to submit once a chimney inspection has been performed. If chimney "relining" is required masonry chimney structures for homes built prior to 1996), a separate permit from your town is required in conjunction with fuel conversions and appliance replacements. Chimney "relining" is the standard repair solution when the above-mentioned building code is in violation. It is also the most commonly occurring chimney repair, being able to correct such issues as flue decay/deterioration, shifted/misaligned flue tiles due to settling, and absences of an original lining due to incorrect or predated home construction.