Hot take: those chimney balloons do more harm than good in older flues

I was doing a sweep last Thursday on a 1920s brick row house in Baltimore and found a draft balloon wedged so tight it had cracked the clay liner near the crown. The homeowner said a handyman told them it was better than a damper, but now they're looking at a $1,400 relining job I have to quote. Has anyone else seen these things cause liner damage in pre-1950s chimneys, or am I just unlucky with the ones I run into?

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