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.
HeatShield Flue Liner Replacement: The West Palm Beach Owner’s Guide
If you already have a HeatShield system and the flue liner is failing, we stock and install HeatShield-compatible replacement liners throughout West Palm Beach, and a full replacement typically costs $2,800 to $6,500 installed depending on flue length, access, and whether the old liner needs extraction first. Most jobs are completed in a single day. The way homeowners usually find out is not a dramatic event. It’s a chimney inspection that shows cracked or missing sections of the cerfractory material, or a fireplace that suddenly drafts poorly and leaves a faint smoky smell in the room after every burn.
We are an independent service provider, not affiliated with HeatShield the manufacturer. What that means for you is we repair and replace these systems every week, we know which liners actually mate up with which HeatShield profiles, and we’re not going to upsell you into a full stainless reline when a HeatShield-specific fix is the right call.
Which HeatShield Models This Applies To
HeatShield is a cerfractory coating system applied inside existing flues, originally as a repair method for cracked clay tile liners. There are two main approaches: a joint repair system (used when only the mortar joints are failing) or a full resurfacing (used when the clay tiles themselves are cracked). The flue liner replacement conversation applies when the HeatShield coating itself has degraded, spalled, or separated from the underlying clay tile, or when the original clay liner underneath has shifted and the HeatShield material can no longer bridge the gaps.
The compatibility gotcha in West Palm Beach specifically: HeatShield was originally rated for interior chimneys protected from weather exposure. Many of the chimneys we see in Flamingo Park and along the coastal stretch are exterior-facing and take a beating from salt air, humidity, and afternoon storms. The coating can hold fine for years and then fail in sections, usually starting where moisture has wicked through the crown or brickwork. So the replacement liner we specify has to handle that moisture cycle. For a HeatShield resurfacing system, we stock HeatShield cerfractory material directly, along with proper stainless steel liner options when the underlying tile is too far gone to resurface again. For full liner replacements we stock DuraFlex and Gelco stainless systems, both available with the correct diameter and insulation profile to match your existing HeatShield flue dimensions.
How to identify which part you need: check the chimney inspection report you received when the HeatShield system was installed. It will list the flue diameter, usually 7″, 8″, or 6″ round, or a rectangular clay tile dimension. If you don’t have that paperwork, we measure the flue opening from the top and bottom during our estimate. One thing that surprises homeowners: HeatShield is not one standardized formula. The material spec varies by application (interior vs. exterior chimney) and by tile condition. So matching the replacement liner is not as simple as buying a generic part online. Getting the diameter right is table stakes. Getting the profile and insulation right is what stops the next failure.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your HeatShield Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Flakes or grit in the firebox: You see small pieces of gray or reddish material accumulating at the base of your fireplace after a fire. That’s cerfractory material spalling off the flue wall. It means the coating is failing in sections and should be inspected immediately.
- Smoky smell lingering after the fire: A healthy flue pulls smoke up and out. When the liner cracks or separates, smoke and carbon monoxide can leak into the wall cavity or back into the room. This is not a nuisance issue. It’s a health and safety issue.
- White staining or efflorescence on the chimney exterior: In West Palm Beach, we see this on a lot of exterior chimneys. Moisture is penetrating the brick, and the flue gases are accelerating the breakdown. The stain often shows up before the liner fully fails, which makes it a useful early warning.
- Draft problems that get worse on windy days: If the fireplace starts fine but backpuffs when the wind shifts, the flue may have a partial blockage or a collapsed liner section disrupting airflow. HeatShield failures often start small and create turbulence before they become fully visible.
- Water in the firebox after heavy rain: This usually points to a crown or flashing issue, but on a HeatShield-coated exterior chimney, water intrusion is often what started the coating failure. The two problems travel together in Florida weather.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
A HeatShield-compatible flue liner replacement in West Palm Beach typically runs $2,800 to $6,500 installed. Here’s what actually drives the price:
| Factor | Cost Impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flue length | $250 – $500 per additional 5 feet | Most single-story homes run 15 – 25 feet; two-story chimneys run 30 – 40 feet |
| Liner diameter | Minimal difference | We stock 6″, 7″, and 8″ stainless liners on the truck |
| Old liner extraction | $400 – $900 | If the HeatShield coating has collapsed or the clay tile must be broken out |
| Access | $150 – $500 | Second-story rooflines, steep pitch, or chimneys close to power lines in older West Palm Beach neighborhoods |
| Insulation wrap | $10 – $15 per foot | Required to meet code for exterior chimneys in South Florida’s climate zone |
Every quote includes the full parts list, labor, insulation, and cleanup as line items before we start. You get a written price before any work begins. And every replacement carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if the repair fails within the coverage period, the second visit is free.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
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AfterDIY or Call Us?
You can safely inspect a few things: look in the firebox for flaking material, check the chimney exterior for white staining, and note whether the draft has changed. That’s worth doing before you call so you can describe what you’re seeing.
What you should not do is attempt to recoat, patch, or reline a flue yourself. This is not a cosmetic repair. A failed or partially failed flue liner is a carbon monoxide and chimney fire risk, and the work requires full PPE, top-side and bottom-side access, and code-compliant installation that holds up to the humidity and salt air of West Palm Beach. We’ve had more than one homeowner show us a DIY patch job that looked fine from the firebox and was completely separated halfway up the flue. The only reason they found out was a carbon monoxide detector that went off at midnight.
Call (728) 203-8687 and we’ll walk you through what we need to know before we even come out. Estimates are free.
FAQs
A standard replacement takes one day. We arrive with the correct liner, insulation, top plate, and cap on the truck. If we need to extract a collapsed old liner or break out damaged clay tile, that can add a second day, and we’ll tell you before we schedule.
Yes, in some cases. If the coating has failed only in isolated sections and the underlying clay tile is still intact, we can recoat those sections with HeatShield material. If the underlying tile has shifted or the coating has failed across more than a third of the flue, a full steel liner replacement is the better long-term fix for a West Palm Beach chimney. We’ll show you photos from the camera inspection either way before recommending anything. Call (728) 203-8687 to schedule an inspection and get a straight answer.
We stock HeatShield cerfractory material, plus DuraFlex and Gelco stainless liner systems in the sizes that cover the vast majority of West Palm Beach chimneys. If your flue needs a nonstandard size, we’ll know after measuring and can usually have it within a few days.
On an interior chimney that stays dry, HeatShield can last 20 to 25 years. On an exterior chimney in West Palm Beach where it’s exposed to salt air, humidity, and storm-driven rain, a realistic lifespan is 12 to 18 years before sections start degrading. That’s why we recommend an annual inspection for exterior chimneys in this area. A small coating failure caught early is a fraction of the cost of a full liner replacement.
Call for a Free Estimate
If you suspect your HeatShield flue liner is failing, don’t wait through another burning season. Call Alcott Chimney West Palm Beach at (728) 203-8687. A live person answers, day or night. We’ll get your address, ask a few questions about what you’re seeing, and set up an inspection. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, and we’ll show you photos of what we found so you never have to take our word for it. Ruben Castellano has been doing this long enough to know when a flue can safely wait and when it can’t. He’ll tell you straight, without the upsell.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner, Alcott Chimney West Palm Beach at Alcott Chimney West Palm Beach, serving West Palm Beach and nearby areas.