Hi littlealexa, Considering the age of the chimney and the number of years that it hasnÂt been used, like you, I would want to make sure that it is fit for use. A brick chimney without a liner can easily withstand the temperatures of normal fireplace use. However, the fact that it needs tuckpointing indicates that the mortar is weak and crumbling in places and the chimney structure isnÂt quite as strong as it used to be. The heating and cooling could take itÂs toll on what strength the chimney still has. Now all that is a maybe. I would think that contractor A is being cautious by recommending a liner to alleviate the effects of the heat from the chimney itself or maybe he is just out to make as much as he can. Contractor B on the other hand seems to be confident that the chimney will be OK after the tuckpointing. Why donÂt you ask contractor B for a written guarantee that you will be safe to use the fireplace with his recommendations and that he would be on the hook for any repairs if anything happened. If he balks at that idea, then heÂs not 100% sure. All this does really, is leave between a rock and a hard place on whether you should pay for piece of mind or have a nagging feeling every time you use the fireplace. The difference in costs I agree, is substantial, and before going with the high figure purely for piece of mind, I would get a couple more opinions. In fact it might not be a bad idea to have a Licensed Structural Engineer look at the chimney whereas you will at least get a signed and sealed document certifying that the chimney is structurally sound for use. Good luck, Ontario DIY guy

I went out to Walmart yesterday and bought some clear (not cushy) non-adhesive Contact paper, unrolled 1 roll and put it (18" wide) in my drawer near the stove where I keep pot holders, trivets, removable handles for my pans. I'm going to see how it works (that cabinet back was broken by installer so stuff wiggles when I close the drawer - not softclose) and maybe put it in all my drawers. That drawer was getting a little worn after only 18 months with stuff in it. My deep drawer in island has a scratch through the paper maple-grain laminate on top of the plywood. Other top drawer near stove has a chip in the laminate (not melamine). These are Merillat's "Deluxe" drawers - not sure if you can get lacquered solid maple bottoms along with the plywood sides if you go with their "Masterpiece" line, but I know the two solid maple dovetailed drawers I ordered online have a much better finish on them than the doors and drawer fronts on my Merillat cabinets! I don't want those drawer bottoms to get scratched either, but at least I know if they do I can refinish them. I've got dish towels in them now. If the clear Contact paper (says it's safe for all finishes, unlike the cushy ones made by Duck I saw in Walmart and BB&B) doesn't work out I'll try the cork. Nothing should be put away wet (unless a recess where the handle attaches on my pots is holding water, but I put those in the dish drainer after taking them out of the DW so they can dry thoroughly), and I'm getting plastic silverware organizers for my cake spatulas, kids' pencils, markers, etc. b4 I put them in new drawers so just need them to keep things from shifting or scratching - esp. things like our collection of chargers that is currently sitting in a ziploc bag near the MW.

Tanguay - Since formaldehyde and lead were removed from the liner manufacturing process, no liner will ever last 32 years again. UV inhibitor technology is increasing, but also expensive, and pool owners are lucky to see 10 years these days. But I agree, more than just wrinkles from the water under the liner those do look suspiciously like pH wrinkles. Basically, the water in this pool would have been acidic enough to cook shrimp in and once the chemical structure of the vinyl changes it can not be fixed from this condition. In regards to the liner pull from the track in the corner - heat a kettle of water and poor boiling water all of the liner in this area. Immediately grab the now scalding liner and manhandle it back into the track. Corners are the toughest part - as are old liners where they have lost their elasticity from UV damage. If you lower your water level to have a few feet of wall showing (never lower than 12" of water left in the shallow end) then you might have a shot. Most likely, in my professional opinion, this will not work and you will still end up needing a new liner - but if you wanted to try, that is how I would go about trying to resolve the problem. I hope this information is helpful!

I used an oil based paint on bookshelves and it yellowed underneath the books over time. I don't know why it only yellowed in those areas, but I'm guessing it has something to do with airflow. For that reason, I'd be hesitant to put down liners, or I would try it on a top shelf and see what happens after a while.