During my living room update, I chose not to install a new metal liner in the chimney. The original clay flue was in great shape after a thorough cleaning. I've had two cleanings since then and performance is perfect. Folks push liners hard, but they aren't always needed for older, well-built chimneys.
I nearly missed a creosote build-up, so some say cameras are needed, but others call them too much, what do you think?
Taking them off lets me check flues faster and safely.
I thought getting caps on fast was key. A windstorm proved me wrong by blowing one off.