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.
DuraFlex Flue Liner Replacement: The Kennesaw Owner’s Guide
A DuraFlex flue liner replacement in Kennesaw typically runs $2,800-$4,500 installed, depending on chimney height, diameter, and whether the existing liner pulls out clean or has to be cut out in sections. We stock DuraFlex-compatible liner in 5.5-inch through 8-inch diameters on our Kennesaw trucks, and most replacements are completed in a single day once the NFPA 211 Level 2 camera inspection confirms the scope. Corrine Halstead and our crew have pulled failed DuraFlex liners from homes near Kennesaw Mountain, Barrett Parkway, and throughout Cobb County - the call usually starts with smoke backing up into the room or a home inspector flagging gaps in the liner wall after a routine fireplace use check.
Which DuraFlex Models This Applies To
DuraFlex produces several stainless steel liner series, and the replacement part you need depends on what’s already in your chimney. The DuraFlex SW (smooth wall) and DuraFlex HT (high-temperature, 316Ti alloy) are the two we encounter most often in Kennesaw homes built between 1990 and 2015. You can identify your series by the stamped collar at the top termination: SW carries a .012-inch wall thickness marking, while HT collars are stamped with the 316Ti alloy grade and a .016-inch wall. The diameter is measured at the appliance collar, not the flue tile opening - a common mismatch that wastes a trip.
We source replacement DuraFlex liner through Haven’s buying network alongside HeatShield, Gelco, and Olympia Chimney materials. For most Kennesaw replacements, we install OEM DuraFlex compatible liner rather than generic aftermarket; the alloy spec and crimp profile matter for proper connector engagement, especially on the 30-degree and 45-degree elbow kits used in many two-story colonial flues near Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. If your original liner was an older DuraFlex 304 alloy (pre-2010, marked on the warranty tag), we’ll note the upgrade to 316Ti in your written scope - the salt and humidity swings in north Georgia eat 304 faster than the manufacturer originally rated for this climate.
Signs Your DuraFlex Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing

- Smoke or odor seeping into living spaces. A breach in the DuraFlex wall - often at a seam or elbow - lets combustion gases escape the flue pathway. In Kennesaw’s tighter-built homes from the 2000s, that smoke has nowhere to go but back through the fireplace opening or into wall cavities.
- Visible rust streaks on the exterior chimney face. DuraFlex uses stainless steel, but the top termination collar and storm collar are galvanized or aluminum on some series. Once water tracks down the flue and pools at a failed seam, you’ll see orange staining on brick or siding within a season - sooner if your chimney lacks a proper cricket on the uphill side.
- Chunks of metal or “soot” that glitter under light. That’s degraded stainless steel wall, not ordinary creosote. The DuraFlex alloy is thinning from the inside, usually from sustained over-firing or from condensation chemistry when gas appliances vent into an oversized liner.
- Home inspector flags “damaged or missing flue liner” on a Level 2 report. The camera caught a gap, seam separation, or liner that ends short of the appliance collar. In Kennesaw’s resale market, this is a deal item - buyers’ insurers often require documentation of replacement before closing.
- Draft problems that worsen on humid days. A perforated DuraFlex liner loses the sealed airway that creates proper draft. North Georgia’s summer humidity makes this obvious; the flue can’t establish enough temperature differential to pull, and you’ll get a smoky startup even with dry wood.
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
| Scope Element | Typical Range in Kennesaw |
|---|---|
| DuraFlex liner material (per linear foot, 5.5″-8″ diameter) | $28-$42/ft |
| Top termination plate and storm collar | $180-$320 |
| Elbow kit (if offset required) | $240-$380 |
| Labor: removal, installation, insulation pack | $1,400-$2,200 |
| NFPA 211 Level 2 inspection with camera and photo record | Included |
| Total typical installed replacement | $2,800-$4,500 |
The range moves with chimney height (a three-story colonial off Stilesboro Road runs longer than a ranch near Big Shanty), access difficulty, and whether the old liner is intact enough to pull or has to be extracted in pieces. We deliver a written price, written scope, and written warranty before any work starts - Haven Standard Clause 1. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation. Materials come with manufacturer’s defect coverage; we register that warranty and add it to your documented photo record, which is archived under Haven Standard Clause 4.
DIY or Call Us?

You can safely check three things: confirm the DuraFlex model stamp on your top termination, measure the flue diameter with a tape (not a guess), and look for the rust or glitter-soot symptoms above. Do not attempt to pull or install a flue liner yourself. The work involves working at height on a steep-pitch roof, handling sharp stainless steel edges in a confined flue, and properly insulating the liner cavity to prevent pyrolysis of surrounding framing. A failed DuraFlex liner is also a carbon monoxide pathway risk - the same breach that leaks smoke can leak odorless CO.
We write it down before we ask you to decide anything. Call (678) 535-2204 for a free estimate. We’ll send a named, background-checked technician with camera equipment, deliver a written price on site, and schedule the replacement only if you choose to move forward.
FAQs
A properly sized and installed DuraFlex 316Ti liner should last 15-25 years in this climate, but we’ve pulled failed 304 alloy liners at 8-12 years due to north Georgia’s humidity cycles and occasional ice dam backup. Annual inspection catches the degradation before breach. Call (678) 535-2204 to schedule - estimates are free.
Localized seam gaps or small perforations can sometimes be addressed with a stainless steel repair sleeve or HeatShield resurfacing, but only if the camera inspection shows the surrounding wall is sound and the damage is within 18 inches of the top or collar. Most Kennesaw replacements we do are past this point - the liner has generalized thinning or multiple breach points. We show you the camera footage and price both options when repair is viable. Call (678) 535-2204 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Most DuraFlex liner replacements in Kennesaw are completed in one day, occasionally stretching to a second morning if the old liner has to be cut and extracted in sections or if the smoke chamber needs parging. We book the full day and don’t rush the insulation pack or the final camera verification. Call (678) 535-2204 to check availability - estimates are free.
We stock DuraFlex-compatible liner in 5.5-inch, 6-inch, 7-inch, and 8-inch diameters on our Kennesaw trucks, along with termination plates and common elbow kits. Odd sizes or 10-inch diameter ship overnight from Haven’s buying network. In most cases, we’re installing within a few days of your approved written scope, not weeks. Call (678) 535-2204 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney Kennesaw at Level Two Chimney Kennesaw, serving Kennesaw and nearby areas.





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