Spent 3 hours wrestling a stubborn liner at a 1940s house in Cleveland

Got called to a house last Tuesday. Old 1940s flue. Thought I'd knock it out in an hour. Instead, the liner kept snagging on some brick ledge halfway down. Pulled it back up. Fed it down again. Snagged again. Another guy could've just cut the liner shorter and called it good. I spent 3 hours repositioning it until it settled right. Has anyone else dealt with flues where the offset seems way off from what the plans show?

3 comments

3 Comments

leodavis1mo ago

Grab a level and measure the actual offset angle yourself before dropping the liner next time. Old houses especially from the 40s can have settling or wonky brickwork that throws the plans way off. I keep a telescoping mirror and a drop light on my truck just for checking those hidden spots. Takes ten extra minutes upfront but saves you from that three hour fight every time.

hannah_perry1mo ago

Oh man, did you ever find any weird stuff behind old parging? I had a job last year where I found a whole clay flue tile someone had just mortared over and abandoned in there. Would've never seen it without a drop light either. That ten minute check up front is such a lifesaver once you figure out it pays off every single time

miles_garcia1mo ago

Pull the damper frame first next time, @leodavis is right but if the offset is really cooking you might have an old cleanout tee buried behind parging that's blocking your path. I bring a bore scope now ever since I found a cast iron cleanout plate that was totally hidden behind a rough mortar patch on a 42 liner job. Saved my back after that one.