Thanks: Chimney Scam

I want to thank the the804.com blog for posting a recent article in the RTD (Chimney Repair is a burning issue). Just yesterday we got our chimney cleaned at our new house (why so early - well it's cheaper than waiting till winter) anyway, we basically just wanted to get it cleaned. And sure enough after they cleaned it they started to play around with a digital camera, taking pictures from the bottom and from the top. And sure enough the guy tells my wife "Oh goodness, you have some cracks in your fireplace - you better get this thing lined - I wouldn't use this until you get it lined". "We can do this for about $2500, that's a good deal right now". And so the wife asks - "What would you line it with?" - We use a stainless steel liner. Really?, Well what's in there now? You have a terra cotta liner. Well, shouldn't that last a long time. It should but its safer to go with a stainless steel liner. Well, can you just fix the current liner? No, you really need to go with the steel liner. Oh okay, well thanks for cleaning out the fireplace - have a great day.
Now, maybe the guy was right - maybe we do have some cracks, and maybe they do need some attention. But we will probably try to find someone that can fix the terra cotta lining rather than trying to insert some stainless steel tube that only last a few years. Thanks for looking out -- RTD