No you don’t, unless the fireplace flue liners are cracked and/or the mortar is cracked and falling out from inbetween the flue liners.

You may want to inspect it yourself, if you know what to look for or you can pay a chimney sweep company to inspect it for you and he should have CCTV equipment to inspect it for you.

If you are able to get on top of your roof and look down inside your chimney, you may be able to tell if the lining is in good or poor condition. Look for cracks or holes in the mortar and the flue liners. You will may need a high powered light and possibly a long pole with a small mirror attached at a 45* angle to the one end, then lower the mirror end of the pole into the chimney, holding it steady, shine the light down to the mirror to see the inside condition of your chimney. If you see any holes or cracks in the lining (not including hair line cracks) then you need to re-lin your chimney.

If you do need to re-line it, be sure and get at least 3 to 5 quotes for the work. They will vary a little to a lot. Good luck and always remember fire safety for your family.

In the first instance give us a call at Alfred Poppins and we will try and help you out. We can do all the work and our prices are VERY competitive!