Plenty of Maplewood homes still have their original fireplace, and plenty of owners have been told by a previous owner, a home inspector or a neighbor that it “probably shouldn’t be used.” AM Chimney Sweep inspects, repairs and relines chimneys in Maplewood, and this page explains what it generally takes to get a fireplace of that age back into safe service.
How old is the typical Maplewood chimney?
According to Census Bureau estimates, more than half of the homes in Maplewood were built before 1940. A flue from that period is either lined with clay tile that has now been through close to a century of heating and cooling, or it was never lined at all and is bare brick on the inside.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates.
First, find out what you have
Nothing useful can be said about an old fireplace until a camera has been run up the flue. A Level 2 inspection shows whether there is a liner, whether the tiles are cracked, whether the mortar between them is still there, and whether the flue is large enough for the fireplace opening below it.
Three possible outcomes
The tiles are intact but the joints have opened
This is common. The clay tiles are sound, but the mortar between them has washed or burned out, leaving gaps where heat and smoke can reach the brickwork. In the right conditions those joints can be repaired in place without removing the tiles. We use genuine HeatShield for this work.
The tiles are cracked or pieces are missing
Here a repair of the joints is not enough. The flue needs a new liner. Which type depends on what the flue serves and how much room there is inside the chimney.
There is no liner
An unlined brick flue lets heat and combustion gases pass directly to the masonry and, through any gap, to the wood framing around it. It should be lined before the fireplace is used.
Things that surprise people
- Some small, shallow fireplaces of this era were built for a coal grate or a gas heater, not for a log fire. The firebox and flue may be too small for wood regardless of condition.
- The flue for the fireplace and the flue for the heating system are separate problems. About one Maplewood home in ten still heats with oil, and a flue that has carried oil exhaust for decades needs its own cleaning and inspection, especially before a conversion to gas.
- Relining happens inside the chimney. It does not change how the fireplace or the mantel looks.
- The top matters as much as the inside. A cracked crown or a missing cap lets in the water that did much of the damage in the first place.
Questions to ask before you approve any relining
- Can I see the camera footage or photos of my own flue?
- Is the damage limited to the joints, or are the tiles themselves broken?
- What will the finished flue size be, and is it right for my fireplace opening?
- What else needs attention at the same time: smoke chamber, damper, crown?
We are glad to answer all four for any work we propose.
Arrange an inspection in Maplewood
Call (862) 225-6529 or send a request online. For an example of a flue restored in place, see our HeatShield flue restoration project in Plainsboro Township; more projects are collected in Our Work. Routine chimney cleaning is available too.