Flue relining
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Olympia Chimney Flue Liner Replacement: The Atlanta Owner’s Guide
If your Olympia Chimney flue liner has cracked, corroded, or separated, replacement in Atlanta typically runs $2,100 to $4,800 installed depending on liner length, diameter, and whether the old liner comes out cleanly. We stock Olympia Chimney-compatible stainless steel liner systems on the truck, and most Atlanta replacements are completed in a single visit. You’ll usually find out the liner failed one of two ways: a chimney sweep flags it during a routine inspection, or you notice flaky rust-colored debris in the firebox (the floor of your fireplace where the fire actually sits) or at the base of the chimney’s cleanout door.
Which Olympia Chimney Models This Applies To
Olympia Chimney manufactures two main liner families we see across Atlanta homes: the Excel line and the Ventis line. The Excel 6-inch and 8-inch rigid stainless liners show up most often in older masonry chimneys serving wood stoves and fireplace inserts, while Ventis components are more common in new construction and gas fireplace venting. Here’s the compatibility gotcha most Atlanta owners hit: an Olympia liner is not universally interchangeable with other brands’ connectors and caps, because Olympia uses a specific locking tab geometry at the pipe seams. Mixing a DuraFlex connector with an Olympia liner section creates an improper seal that leaks flue gases (the combustion byproducts a chimney is supposed to carry away, including carbon monoxide). When we spec a replacement, we match the liner to the appliance’s actual BTU output and the existing flue tile opening, not just the old part’s diameter. Aftermarket stainless steel liners from brands like DuraFlex and Gelco can sometimes substitute, but for Olympia appliances under active warranty, we recommend OEM Olympia components so the manufacturer can’t deny a claim over third-party parts.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Olympia Chimney Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Rust flakes in the firebox or cleanout. Stainless steel liners are rust-resistant, not rust-proof, and Atlanta’s humidity plus acidic creosote (the tar-like residue that builds up inside the flue) eats at the metal over time. Flakes mean the inner wall is shedding.
- A faint campfire smell in the house even when the fireplace is cold. This is flue gas backdrafting through a breach in the liner wall. Small perforations let exhaust enter the chimney cavity instead of venting out the top.
- Visible gaps or separation at the liner seams. We spot this during camera inspections. Expansion and contraction from Atlanta’s temperature swings, especially the freeze-thaw cycle on uninsulated exterior chimneys in older neighborhoods like Grant Park and East Atlanta, stress the locking seams over time.
- White or chalky deposits on the exterior chimney brick. Called efflorescence, this happens when moisture penetrates the liner and migrates through the masonry, carrying minerals to the surface. A failed liner lets condensation and rain water into the structure.
- Your carbon monoxide detector chirps near the fireplace. Never ignore this. A compromised liner is one of the few household failures where the gas is invisible. It is not the time to investigate; it’s the time to stop using the fireplace and call us at (762) 320-6525.
Safety note worth reading before you decide anything: a flue liner separates 500-degree exhaust from the wood framing inside your walls. A cracked or separated liner turns the space between the chimney flue and your house into a potential path for heat and carbon monoxide. This is not a job where watching a few videos and renting a scaffold makes sense. The risk of a chimney fire or CO exposure is highest exactly when the liner has failed but the homeowner doesn’t know it yet.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
In Atlanta, here’s the breakdown we give every customer before any work starts:
- Single-story chimney, 6-inch liner, straightforward removal: $2,100 to $2,800
- Two-story chimney or liner over 25 feet: $2,800 to $3,800
- Two-story chimney with difficult old-liner extraction or masonry repair needed first: $3,800 to $4,800
The price includes removing the old Olympia liner, prepping the flue opening, installing the new liner with a proper top cap and connector at the appliance, running a full camera inspection afterward, and a written report with before-and-after photos. You get the written price before we touch the roof. You get a written guarantee on every repair through our 365-Day Done Right Promise, with a free second visit if the repair fails. No surprise charges when the job’s done, no add-on quote at the door.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
Here’s the honest split. What you can safely do: check the exterior chimney for crumbling mortar or efflorescence, look inside the firebox with a flashlight for rust flakes, and make a note of any smell. What goes wrong with a DIY liner replacement: you’re working at roof height, you’re handling a heavy coil of stainless steel, and you’re connecting a combustion vent that, if sealed wrong, leaks carbon monoxide into the house. Most Atlanta roofs are steep enough that a fall isn’t a “bad weekend,” it’s a hospital trip. Cory Mitchell and our crew have pulled plenty of half-installed liner kits out of chimneys where an owner got 80 percent of the way and realized the old liner was cemented in place. I’d rather show you a photo of the problem than talk around it. Call (762) 320-6525 for a free estimate and we’ll put a camera down the flue so you can see exactly what we’re seeing.
FAQs
A properly installed Olympia stainless steel liner lasts 15 to 25 years in Atlanta, though a chimney that burns wet or unseasoned wood can cut that to a decade because acidic creosote attacks the liner wall. Annual inspections catch thinning before it becomes a breach.
Minor pinholes and small rust spots can sometimes be patched with a ceramic coating like HeatShield, but a liner with separated seams, significant rust-through, or distortion from a chimney fire needs full replacement. Patching a structurally failed liner is a temporary fix that still leaves the flue gas path compromised. If we can repair it safely, we’ll show you the camera evidence and say so. Call (762) 320-6525 if you want to know which situation you have.
Most Olympia Chimney flue liner replacements in Atlanta take four to seven hours, including removal of the old liner, installation, and camera verification. If the chimney needs masonry or crown repair first, we’ll schedule that as a separate visit and give you a written price for both before anything starts.
We keep common 6-inch and 8-inch Olympia-compatible liner sections, connectors, and top caps on the truck, along with parts from DuraFlex, Gelco, and HeatShield. If your chimney needs a less common diameter or a specific Ventis component, we source it directly and schedule the install as soon as it lands, usually within three to five business days.
Call Hadley Chimney Atlanta
If your Olympia Chimney flue liner is showing any of the signs above, don’t guess and don’t run the fireplace one more season hoping it holds. Call (762) 320-6525 and you’ll get a live person, a scheduled window with live arrival tracking through The Relay Visibility Guarantee, and a written price before anyone sets up a ladder. We’ve been doing this in Atlanta since 2003, and we show you the photos to prove what we found.
Written by Cory Mitchell, Owner, Hadley Chimney Atlanta at Hadley Chimney Atlanta, serving Atlanta and nearby areas.