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.
Famco Flue Liner Replacement: The Orlando Owner’s Guide
If you have a Famco chimney cap or flue component that’s failed, here’s the straight answer: we stock Famco-compatible flue liner replacement parts in Orlando, and most installations run between $450 and $1,150 depending on liner diameter, length, and what we find inside the flue during the camera inspection. Most Famco liner replacements in the Orlando area are completed in a single visit because our trucks carry the common sizes and adapters. You’ll typically know something’s wrong when you spot rust flakes on the hearth, notice a draft smell that won’t go away, or see visible cracking at the liner’s top edge from the roof. Some Orlando homeowners find out the hard way after heavy rain, when water streaks the firebox walls because the liner’s top seal finally gave out against our afternoon thunderstorms.
We’re an independent chimney service company, not affiliated with Famco, but we work with their components and matching OEM-equivalent replacements every week. Danny Cortes has been running chimney jobs in Central Florida for years, and the Famco liners we see most often fail from the top down: the cap-to-liner connection corrodes first in Orlando’s humidity, then the upper liner sections start flaking. If you’re reading this with a flashlight in one hand and a pile of rust on your fireplace floor, you’re in the right place.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco’s flue liners and terminations are built around standard chimney diameters, which actually makes replacement simpler than most homeowners expect. The critical match points are the inside diameter (typically 5″, 6″, 7″, 8″, or 10″), the liner material (stainless steel dominates in our market), and whether your setup uses a flexible or rigid section. Famco’s rigid stainless liners are the ones we most commonly replace in Orlando, often paired with their square or round caps that lock onto the liner’s top rim.
The compatibility gotcha: a Famco cap is not universal across liner brands. The locking tab pattern on a Famco termination fits Famco’s liner bead profile, and some older Famco caps won’t seat properly on generic aftermarket liners even when the diameter matches. That’s the main reason we stock actual Famco-compatible components rather than whatever’s cheapest on a supply truck. When you call us for a Famco flue liner replacement in Orlando, the first thing we do is get eyes on the existing liner’s spec tag if it’s still legible, or measure the inside diameter and wall profile to pin down exactly what’s there. We also carry DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco components when the flue geometry calls for a different brand’s product, but if your home has a Famco system, matching Famco to Famco avoids the seating problems we’ve seen too many times.
Styles & brands we work with





Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Rust flakes or metallic debris in the firebox. Stainless steel doesn’t rust the way carbon steel does, but Orlando’s humidity and salt-tinged coastal air can still pit the upper sections over a decade or more. Flakes on the fireplace floor mean the liner wall is actively shedding material, and that’s the first failure mode we see.
- Water streaks or dampness on the firebox interior after rain. When the cap-to-liner seal opens up, storm water follows the outside of the liner down into the chimney chase. What looks like a “leaky roof” is very often a failed top termination, and that’s a Famco replacement issue, not a roofing call.
- A persistent draft smell even when the damper is closed. Small gaps in a degraded liner let air move in ways it shouldn’t. If you’re catching a campfire smell in the living room when no fire has burned for weeks, the liner has likely opened somewhere along its length.
- Visible cracking, buckling, or seams separating at the liner’s top edge. Check from the roofline if you’re comfortable doing a visual. What you’re looking for is a ripple or a split where the liner meets the cap or the crown. That’s the spot we most often find Famco liners failing in Orlando homes.
- Your fireplace was built or last worked on before 2010 and has never had the liner inspected. Nothing dramatic, just reality: two decades of Florida humidity, thermal cycling from hot fires to cold air-conditioned air, and occasional storm-driven water intrusion take a toll on even good stainless. This isn’t ageism against older chimneys, it’s pattern recognition from hundreds of inspections.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Most Famco flue liner replacements in the Orlando market land between $450 and $1,150 fully installed. The low end covers a straightforward upper-section liner replacement on a standard masonry chimney with easy rooftop access. The high end covers full-length liner replacement, difficult roofline angles common in neighborhoods like Dr. Phillips and Windermere, or a liner that’s bonded to the flue wall and needs mechanical removal before the new section can go in.
Every quote you get from us includes the line-item breakdown: the Famco-compatible liner section or full liner, the mounting hardware, labor for the day, and the camera inspection before and after so you can see exactly what the flue looked like and what it looks like when we’re done. Nothing gets recommended without camera evidence you see with your own eyes. If the liner can be safely repaired with a top-section replacement instead of a full pull, that’s what we’ll tell you, and the price will reflect the smaller job. Written price before work starts, always. Every Famco liner replacement we do in Orlando is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
Liner work sits in a gray area, so let’s be honest. An owner can safely do a visual inspection from the ground or roofline, check the spec tag, and even sweep out the firebox to see what’s collected there. Replacing a flue liner, even a top section, means working at height on a roof, uncoupling components that may be brittle, and torquing stainless connections inside a masonry chase you can’t fully see without camera equipment. The danger is real, both from the rooftop and from the flue gases if the fit isn’t right. We’ve seen DIY liner replacements that seated fine for a month and then shifted after the first hard storm. A flue liner that doesn’t seal is a carbon monoxide risk, plain and simple.
So no, this isn’t a weekend swap job for most people, and it shouldn’t be. If you want a trained tech to handle it, call (850) 940-3442. If you want to inspect first and then decide, call us anyway. We’ll talk you through what to look for and whether it’s worth a service call. Written price before any work starts, always.
FAQs
A properly installed Famco stainless liner in Orlando typically lasts 15 to 25 years, though our humidity and seasonal heavy rain tend to cut 5 years off the lifespan we’d expect in a drier climate. The upper section near the cap fails first in our area because that’s where storm water and high humidity concentrate. If yours is at the 15-year mark and showing rust flakes or water streaks, it’s wise to have it camera-inspected before the next wet season. Call (850) 940-3442 and we’ll schedule an inspection with no obligation.
In many cases, yes, especially if the damage is confined to the upper section near the cap termination. A top-section Famco replacement is significantly cheaper than a full liner pull, and it’s the most common repair we do in Orlando homes. The full liner only gets replaced when the camera shows damage extending down into the main flue run. You’ll see the camera footage yourself before you spend a dollar. Call (850) 940-3442 for a straight answer.
A top-section replacement typically takes 2 to 3 hours from arrival to cleanup. A full liner replacement can run 4 to 6 hours depending on access, flue condition, and whether the old liner comes out cleanly. Most jobs are done in one day, and our crew puts down shoe covers and drop cloths before any tools enter your home, then photographs the cleanup before we leave. If you need a time estimate for your specific setup, call (850) 940-3442.
Our Orlando trucks carry the common Famco-compatible diameters (6″, 7″, 8″) and the matching cap and termination hardware, so we can usually complete a top-section replacement same-visit. Less common sizes, like 5″ or 10″ liners, may require a quick order, usually 2 to 3 business days. If you’re not sure what you have, describe it to us on the phone and we can usually identify the likely spec from the details. Call (850) 940-3442 and we’ll check stock while you’re on the line.
Know what’s in your flue before the first fire of the season – everything else follows from that.
If you have a Famco liner that’s failing, don’t wait until water damage or draft problems get worse. Call (850) 940-3442 for a free estimate. A live person answers 24/7, and we’ll give you a written price before any work begins.
Written by Danny Cortes, Owner, Kindling Chimney Orlando at Kindling Chimney Orlando, serving Orlando and nearby areas.