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 Marietta Owner’s Guide
HeatShield flue liner replacement in Marietta typically runs $1,900 to $3,400 installed, depending on the flue dimensions and the condition of the existing ceramic coating. We stock HeatShield-compatible materials and can usually complete the full replacement in one visit. Most homeowners discover the problem during a routine chimney sweep or an annual inspection, when the technician spots flaking, spalling, or missing sections of the original HeatShield coating and the camera shows the underlying flue wall starting to erode.
If you have a HeatShield liner that has been in place for ten-plus years in a Marietta home, the Georgia humidity and our cold-to-hot seasonal swings take a real toll. That moisture gets into the ceramic coating, freeze-thaw cycles do their worst, and the liner begins to degrade from the inside out. The good news is that replacing a compromised HeatShield system is a known, predictable job when you get the specification right. We tell you the price first, show you the work, put it in writing, and that is the whole job. Nathan Corliss has been doing exactly that since 2002, and his crews have covered plenty of fireplaces near Kennesaw Mountain where older flues need a steady hand.
Key Takeaways
- HeatShield replacement in Marietta averages $1,900 to $3,400 installed
- We match the replacement to your flue dimensions and the original HeatShield series
- Written price before we touch a brush, written guarantee when we are done
- Camera inspection and photo report included so you see what we see
- Phones answered by a live person 24/7 at (478) 796-8742
Which HeatShield Models This Applies To
HeatShield is a resurfacing system, not a rigid liner. It was designed for masonry chimneys where the original clay tile is still structurally intact but the surface has begun to degrade. The system uses a ceramic-based coating applied in layers, typically over a form that creates a new, smooth flue surface. There are two primary application types: a full-length pour-and-form liner for unlined or severely degraded chimneys, and a joint repair application that seals failing mortar joints between clay tiles. Both are sold through chimney supply houses, not retail, so the specific kit version matters.
Here is the compatibility gotcha most homeowners never hear: HeatShield is not a brand of flex liner, and it cannot simply be swapped for a stainless steel insert without a completely different installation approach. If your original HeatShield coating has failed, you need to know whether the masonry beneath it is still sound. If it is, a reapplication with the current HeatShield Cerfractory material can work. If the clay tile behind the coating has shifted or cracked, a rigid replacement or a structural reline becomes the job. We can tell you which camp you are in within the first twenty minutes on site.
We are an independent chimney service in Marietta, not affiliated with HeatShield as a manufacturer. We stock HeatShield-compatible replacement material because it is the right product for many local homes, and we also carry DuraFlex and Gelco components for jobs where a different solution is the better call. The part label on your original install paperwork will list the flue diameter, most commonly 6 to 8 inches for single-family homes, and the install date. If you don’t have the paperwork, we measure the flue ourselves because guessing at flue size is how a liner fails twice.
Styles & brands we work with





Signs Your HeatShield Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- White or gray flaking you can see from below. The ceramic coating is delaminating from the flue wall. Moisture got behind the coating, and now it is spalling away in chunks. This is the earliest visible warning sign, and it means the protective layer is gone in that spot.
- Chimney odors inside the home, especially during humid weeks. A degraded liner lets combustion gases and moisture accumulate in the flue instead of venting out. July and August in Marietta are when this complaint spikes because high humidity amplifies the creosote smell.
- Water staining on the firebox floor or rust on the damper assembly. The failed liner is letting condensation run back down the flue. That rust on the damper is a reliable tell that water has been coming down, not just going up.
- Excessive soot buildup much faster than previous years. A rough, failing liner surface catches soot and creosote that would otherwise exit the flue. If your last sweep was under two years ago and the buildup is already heavy, the liner surface is the usual culprit.
- Visible gaps or vertical lines when the tech runs a camera down the flue. This is the definitive diagnosis. A camera inspection shows exactly where the coating has separated, and the photo report shows you the same image we see. From there, the decision is straightforward: repair the section or replace the full liner.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Most HeatShield flue liner replacements in Marietta run between $1,900 and $3,400 installed. The spread comes down to flue height, flue diameter, roof access difficulty, and whether we are doing a full liner replacement or a joint-by-joint repair. A straightforward single-story home with a 6 by 8 flue lands near the bottom of that range. A taller flue, a steep roof pitch, or a clay tile section that needs structural work before the liner goes in pushes it toward the top.
Here is what that number includes, and it is the same on every job: the replacement material matched to your flue size, the full installation labor, the camera inspection before and after, the photo report you keep, and our cleanup of the work area. Nothing gets added at the door. You get a written price before any work starts, so the invoice matches the quote. Every Ashby Chimney Marietta repair carries the written guarantee under the Kingswell Guarantee. If a covered repair fails within the guarantee period, we return and fix it at no charge. That is the flat truth about the Kingswell Way: say the price, show up in the window, leave it cleaner, put the guarantee in writing, come back if it fails.
You will also want to ask your sweep about the surrounding components while we are in there. A new liner paired with a failing chimney cap is a half-fixed problem. In Marietta, we deal with a lot of creosote glaze from wet wood burned in older fireboxes near Sprayberry and East Cobb, and that glaze is hard on any liner. The fix is not always more heat; it is proper ventilation and dry wood.
DIY or Call Us?
Chimney work is not a ladder-and-a-brush job when the liner is involved. A HeatShield replacement requires working from the roof or inside the flue opening, handling a multi-part ceramic coating system, and confirming the application with a camera. If the coating is applied to a flue that still has hidden cracks or loose tile behind it, the repair fails and you have spent money to create a bigger problem. The materials alone are not priced for retail, and the tools for proper coat application are not in a standard garage kit.
What you can safely do before calling is clear the firebox of ashes and note the approximate date of your last sweep and any paperwork from your original HeatShield install. That saves us twenty minutes on site, and we will be honest with you about whether the number in your file changes anything. Safety specifics: a deteriorated flue liner increases the risk of chimney fire because creosote ignites at around 451°F and a failing liner gives it more surface to catch. It also compromises carbon monoxide drafting. This is a trained-professional repair, and we are the professionals who will show you the camera footage before we recommend anything. Call (478) 796-8742 and we will get you a straight answer.
FAQs
A correctly installed HeatShield liner system typically lasts 15 to 20 years in a Marietta home, with the Georgia climate as the main wear factor: humidity drives moisture into the flue, and freeze-thaw cycles in January and February stress the ceramic surface every winter. Annual inspections catch early spalling before it spreads. Burn only dry hardwood, have the flue swept at least annually, and you will be at the upper end of that range. If your liner is over 12 years old and shows flaking, call (478) 796-8742 for a camera inspection and an honest life-expectancy assessment.
Yes, in many cases, if the failed area is localized to one or two mortar joints or a small spalled section and the surrounding flue tile is still sound, a targeted HeatShield joint repair or spot resurfacing can address the issue for $500 to $900 in Marietta. If the coating failure is widespread or the clay tile behind it has shifted, full replacement is the only repair that makes sense. We show you the camera footage either way so you make the call based on what you can see, not what we tell you. Call (478) 796-8742, and we will give you an honest read.
Most single-story HeatShield replacements in Marietta take one full working day, including setup, surface prep, application, and the post-install camera verification. Two-story homes or flues with difficult roof access may run into a second morning. We schedule a real arrival window and stick to it, and we leave the work area cleaner than we found it. Call (478) 796-8742 to get a specific time window for your roof and flue configuration.
We stock HeatShield-compatible replacement material on the truck, along with DuraFlex and Gelco components for flues where a different reline approach is called for, so the part is already there when we diagnose the job. For uncommon flue diameters, we source the correct kit from our supplier with no waiting on your end beyond normal lead time. You pay the same price for the material we quote, never a markup surprise. Call (478) 796-8742 for an exact material match and a written quote.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Marietta at Ashby Chimney Marietta, serving Marietta and nearby areas.