Level 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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterHeatShield Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Greenwich: What to Know First
We provide independent HeatShield chimney liner repair and full rebuild work throughout Greenwich, CT, with most liner replacements completed in one to two days once parts are on hand. A typical HeatShield repair runs between $425 and $1,900 depending on whether we’re patching a section or replacing the liner outright, and you’ll get a written price before any work starts. This page is for Greenwich homeowners whose HeatShield liner is showing signs of failure and who want straight answers about what it costs and what’s actually involved. Call (516) 399-5497 to schedule a camera inspection and get a written quote.
How HeatShield Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
HeatShield makes a line of repair products that resurface existing flue liners rather than replacing them. When they work, they work well. When they fail, the failure is usually specific to how the product was applied, how the chimney was built, or what’s been burned in it since. Here’s what we actually find in Greenwich homes:
- HeatShield Cerfractory flake delamination in older clay tile liners. The Cerfractory material bonds to the existing clay tile, but if the original tile had unseen fissures or the surface prep was incomplete, the coating can separate in sheets. We see this most often in liners installed before 2015. The fix is mechanically removing the failed sections and either re-coating or moving to a stainless liner if the flue dimensions allow it.
- HeatShield joint seal breakdown at the smoke chamber transition. The product seals the gap where flue tile meets smoke chamber, but Greenwich homes with oversized fireboxes and short chimneys put disproportionate heat at that transition. The seal can crack within five to seven years. We rebuild the transition correctly rather than just re-sealing a failing gap.
- Water intrusion through a damaged crown that compromises the HeatShield coating. HeatShield is not a waterproofing system. If your crown is spalling or your flashing has opened up, water gets between the coating and the tile and freezes. The liner fails from behind. We always inspect crown and flashing before recommending any HeatShield repair, because if water’s getting in, you’ll be doing the job twice.
- Improperly sized HeatShield application that narrows the flue below code clearance. Some original installations were applied too thickly on smaller flues, reducing the cross-sectional area and affecting draft. We measure the flue dimensions before recommending repair versus replacement. A flue that’s been narrowed too much needs a stainless liner, not another coating.
- Class III creosote buildup on HeatShield surfaces that weren’t maintained. HeatShield-coated liners still require annual inspection and periodic sweeping. If the coating is intact but heavily glazed, the issue is maintenance, not product failure. We clean to the surface and document everything with the camera so you can see whether the coating itself is compromised.
As an independent HeatShield service provider, we’re not authorized by the manufacturer, and we don’t need to be. What matters is that our techs can tell the difference between a HeatShield coating that’s doing its job and one that’s hiding a problem the camera has to find.
Our HeatShield Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process
Every HeatShield job follows the same sequence, and you get documentation at each step:
- 1
Camera scan first. We run a Level 2 inspection per NFPA 211, which means the camera goes down the flue and records everything. If you already have a recent scan from another company, we’ll still run our own. “The camera doesn’t guess. Neither do we.”
- 2
Written findings and a written price. You get a line-item scope of work with our recommendation and the cost. If the HeatShield coating is failing in one section and the rest of the flue is sound, we’ll tell you that. We won’t sell a full liner replacement when a section repair is defensible.
- 3
Parts decision. For HeatShield repairs, we use manufacturer-spec materials sourced through our supplier network. For full replacements where HeatShield isn’t the right answer anymore, we work with DuraFlex stainless liners or Gelco products depending on the chimney’s condition. We’ll explain the tradeoff before any order is placed.
- 4
The repair or rebuild. Our techs prep the flue, apply or remove the HeatShield material, and rebuild any masonry that has to come out. In Greenwich, that often means matching brick or stone on older homes where the chimney is a visible architectural feature.
- 5
Post-repair camera verification. We don’t hand you a receipt and leave. We run the camera again and show you the finished liner surface on our screen. You see what we see.
- 6
Written warranty and photo record. Every job closes with the documented photo record required by Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, plus your warranty in writing. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
BeforeAfterWhat HeatShield Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in Greenwich
Prices here are specific to the Greenwich market, where access, chimney height, and masonry matching on older homes affect labor. Here’s what we typically see:
- HeatShield spot repair or re-coating (one or two flue sections): $425 - $850
- Full HeatShield removal and re-application: $1,100 - $1,900
- Full stainless liner replacement (DuraFlex or Gelco): $2,200 - $5,600, depending on flue length, access, and whether the existing liner can be used as a chase
- Partial chimney rebuild (crown to roofline, typical Greenwich colonial): $2,800 - $7,500
- Full chimney rebuild from the roofline up: $8,000 - $18,000, with masonry matching as the main variable on older estates
What moves the price most is flue length and whether we’re staging from the roof or doing the work from inside the firebox. A HeatShield coating that’s failed because of a crown problem costs more to fix correctly because the crown work happens first. You’ll get a written price before we begin, and estimates are free. Call (516) 399-5497 for an exact quote.
Why Greenwich Homeowners Call Level Two Chimney Greenwich for HeatShield Work
Most of the HeatShield callbacks we see in Greenwich come from two situations: a liner that was coated without the underlying problem being fixed, or a liner that was coated when it should have been replaced. That’s where having a company that does both repairs and full rebuilds matters. We’re not a HeatShield-only shop trying to make the coating work on every chimney. If a stainless liner is the right fix, we’ll tell you and quote it.
We’ve inspected and cleaned more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, every one with a written price before work started and a documented photo record when it was done. That’s not a marketing claim. It’s our operating rule under the Haven Standard, and it’s why our second opinions on competitor quotes are free - if someone else has written you an estimate for HeatShield work or a liner replacement, bring it to us and we’ll review it with our camera before you commit.
Our techs carry materials from HeatShield, DuraFlex, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield, so the parts decision isn’t filtered through a single brand relationship. Corrine Halstead runs the crew here, and she spent years doing inspections across Fairfield and Westchester counties before taking on this market. She reads a firebox before the camera even finishes its pass, and she still writes up exactly what the camera shows - nothing added, nothing softened.
FAQs
HeatShield’s warranty terms depend on when your liner was installed and the specific product line, and manufacturer warranties typically require the work to be done by a certified applicator for the warranty to remain valid. What we can tell you is that our written warranty covers our workmanship for 365 days under the Done Right Promise, and we’ll document the repair with photos so you have a clear record regardless of how the manufacturer responds.
The only way to know is a camera scan, and that’s the first thing we do on every HeatShield job. If the coating is delaminating in one section but the surrounding flue tile is intact, a section repair is often enough. If the flue was narrowed by the original application or the underlying tile is compromised, replacement with a stainless liner from DuraFlex or Gelco is usually the more honest recommendation. Call (516) 399-5497 and we’ll show you the footage before we recommend anything.
Most HeatShield section repairs and re-coatings are done in a single day once the chimney is prepped and dried. A full liner replacement takes one to two days, and a partial rebuild can run three to five days depending on masonry matching and weather. We’ll give you a schedule in writing with your quote.
Yes, and this is one of the reasons rebuild work varies so much in Greenwich. Older colonials near Cos Cob and estates in backcountry Greenwich often used stone or brick that’s no longer in production, so we source reclaimed material where possible and match the mortar color and joint profile. You’ll approve the masonry plan before we start.
A failing liner section exposes the chimney structure to heat and moisture directly. In Greenwich, with freeze-thaw cycles and salt air, that accelerates spalling and can eventually compromise the flue’s ability to vent safely. If the camera shows delamination or gaps, that’s a repair decision, not a wait-and-see. You’ll see the damage yourself before we recommend anything.
If you own a home in Greenwich with a HeatShield liner that’s showing signs of trouble - or you just want a camera scan to know where you stand - call us at (516) 399-5497. We’ll schedule the inspection, send you a text when the tech is on the way, and give you a written price before any work begins.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney Greenwich at Level Two Chimney Greenwich, serving Greenwich and nearby areas.