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.
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Before
AfterFamco Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Littleton: What to Know First
We provide independent Famco chimney liner and rebuild service throughout Littleton, typically quoting jobs within 24 hours of your call and completing most liner replacements inside of two business days once parts are confirmed. Every Famco job starts with a camera-scan inspection, a written price before any work starts, and a documented photo record when we’re done. This page is for Famco product owners in Littleton, Columbine Knolls, and nearby neighborhoods who need straight answers about whether their liner can be repaired, what a full rebuild involves, and what it actually costs. Call us at (720) 439-4666 or read on for the specifics.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Famco 316Ti flexible liners in older Littleton installs (pre-2015) develop crevice corrosion at the flex joints. The titanium-stabilized alloy resists acid well, but the interlocked seam design traps condensation where the flue passes through uninsulated chase walls in our freeze-thaw climate. We see this most in Columbine Knolls homes with exterior chimneys. Our fix: pull the damaged section, assess whether the remaining liner is gauge-thick enough to remain in service, and replace with either a new Famco 316Ti segment or a heavier-gauge DuraFlex equivalent if the chase can’t be insulated.
- Famco rigid 304 stainless elbows in multi-story installs crack at the weld seam. The 304 alloy is cost-effective, but the sharp-turn elbows in taller Littleton homes (common in the Kipling Hills area) experience thermal fatigue as fires cycle on and off. We cut out the failed elbow, camera-inspect the upstream and downstream sections for collateral stress cracking, and install a replacement with a broader radius where space allows. If the flue run is too tight, we switch to a segmented flex liner rated for the same BTU load.
- Famco top-sealing dampers seize when the chimney crown has spalled and water tracks down the cable housing. The damper itself is often salvageable, but homeowners assume they need a full liner replacement. We separate the repair: free the damper mechanism, replace the cable if corroded, and address the crown with a HeatShield rebuild or full concrete pour depending on crack depth. The liner stays in service if the camera shows intact walls.
- Famco smooth-wall liners in gas conversions lose draft when the appliance is oversized for the flue diameter. We see this in Littleton homes where a 90% furnace was swapped in without resizing the liner. The smooth wall doesn’t create enough friction to slow the exhaust, so condensation pools at the base. Our fix isn’t always a new liner - sometimes it’s a properly sized insert, a draft inducer, or extending the liner to the proper height per NFPA 211. We show you the manometer readings and explain which path costs less.
- Famco factory-built chimney chase covers rust through at the corners. The galvanized steel covers Famco supplied in the 2000s weren’t rated for the UV and hail exposure we get on the Front Range. Water enters, saturates the framing, and the liner ends up sitting in a wet chase. We replace with a Gelco or Olympia Chimney stainless cover with proper drip edges and cross-break, then inspect the liner for any acid-wash damage from years of slow leaks.
Our Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process
- 1
Call and schedule. A live person answers, checks Famco part availability for your model line, and books a Level 2 inspection. You get a text when your tech is en route.
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Camera-scan inspection. We run the camera the full flue length, record footage, and take stills of every defect. Corrine Halstead reviews the footage with you on-site - the camera doesn’t have an opinion, it just shows you what’s there.
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Written scope and price. Before any work starts, you receive a written price, written scope, and written warranty under Haven Standard Clause 1. If you have a competitor’s estimate, we’ll give you a free second opinion.
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Parts decision and procurement. We source Famco OEM when it makes sense, or specify DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, or Olympia Chimney equivalents through our buying network. We explain the trade-off and let you decide.
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Repair and testing. The crew completes the liner replacement or rebuild, runs a smoke test or draft test, and verifies all clearances. We don’t leave until the readings are documented.
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Photo record and follow-up. You get your documented photo record under Haven Standard Clause 4, plus the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If it’s not right, we make it right.
Before
AfterWhat Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in Littleton
| Service | Typical Range | What Moves the Price |
|---|---|---|
| Famco liner section replacement (partial) | $1,800 - $3,400 | Height of chimney, access difficulty, whether the chase needs insulation |
| Full Famco flexible liner replacement | $3,200 - $5,800 | Flue diameter, number of appliances connected, need for new connector pipe |
| Famco rigid liner replacement with elbows | $4,100 - $6,900 | Elbow count, scaffolding requirements, multi-story height |
| Partial chimney rebuild (crown, top courses, liner) | $5,500 - $9,200 | Extent of masonry damage, need for tear-out vs. crown-only |
| Full chimney rebuild with new Famco liner | $12,000 - $18,500 | Chase reconstruction, footing condition, liner material choice |
These are real ranges for Littleton homes we’ve worked on, not teaser prices. The only way to know your exact number is to get the camera down the flue. Estimates are free, and we put the price in writing before any work starts. Call (720) 439-4666 to schedule.
Why Littleton Homeowners Call Level Two Chimney Littleton for Famco Work
We’ve inspected and cleaned more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and a significant share of those have been Famco products in Littleton and the surrounding metro area. Corrine Halstead learned flue sizing and draft diagnostics at Apex Technical School in Long Island City, and she’s spent well over a decade applying that training to real jobs on the Front Range. Her crew knows the difference between a Famco 316Ti and a 304 install, knows where the weak points show up in our climate, and won’t recommend a full rebuild when a section replacement will do.
Every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise, backed by the Haven Standard we’ve operated under since 2009. Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, your license number is on the page, and you get a text when we’re on the way. We also stock and service DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Gelco products, so if your Famco line is discontinued or a better-fit material exists, we can source it without delay.
FAQs
No - Famco’s warranty covers manufacturing defects in the liner itself, not installation or masonry work performed by independent service providers. As an independent Famco service provider, we document the liner’s condition before and after any rebuild to preserve your defect-coverage rights. If we find a manufacturing flaw during inspection, we’ll flag it for your warranty claim and still quote the repair work separately. Call (720) 439-4666 and we’ll walk you through what’s covered and what isn’t.
Most Famco liner replacements are completed in one full day once parts are on hand; full rebuilds with masonry work typically run two to three days. Parts availability for current Famco series is usually 2-4 business days through our network. For discontinued lines, we cross-reference DuraFlex or Olympia Chimney equivalents that match your appliance rating. We don’t start work until the written price is agreed and parts are confirmed.
It depends on what the camera shows. Small breaches in a Famco flex liner can sometimes be addressed with a HeatShield cerfractory sleeve if the surrounding liner is structurally sound. Cracks at weld seams in rigid sections are rarely repairable and require section replacement. We show you the footage, explain which category your damage falls into, and quote both paths when both exist. No recommendation without camera evidence you can see yourself.
NFPA 211 recommends annual inspection for all chimney systems, and we endorse that for Famco liners in Littleton given our freeze-thaw cycles and the heavy use many fireplaces see through long Front Range winters. If you burn cordwood as a primary heat source, consider sweeping when creosote reaches 1/8 inch - typically every cord or two burned. Gas appliance liners can often go two years between inspections if draft tests clean, but we still recommend annual visual checks for chase leaks or cap damage.
A breached liner allows combustion gases, including carbon monoxide, to enter wall cavities or living spaces. It also exposes surrounding masonry to acidic condensation, accelerating spalling and crown failure. In wood-burning systems, gaps between the liner and flue wall can allow creosote to accumulate in hidden spaces, increasing chimney fire risk. That said, not every flaw is an emergency - we classify what we find, explain which conditions can be monitored and which require immediate action, and never pressure you into work that can safely wait. Call (720) 439-4666 for a free estimate and an honest timeline.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney Littleton at Level Two Chimney Littleton, serving Littleton and nearby areas.