Can I use a reclaimed barn beam as a fireplace mantel?
Yes — and in Clyde the barn beam usually pairs with an insert upgrade, since so many 1960s–80s ranch homes here have dated fireplaces ready for one. The catch is Pigeon valley humidity: damp air swells and moves raw timber, so the beam has to be dried and acclimated before it goes up over the new insert at its clearance.
Ranch fireplaces, ready to update
Clyde's older 1960s–80s ranch-style builds around downtown and the Lower Pigeon Valley carry dated fireplaces that are prime candidates for an insert. A reclaimed beam is the character upgrade that goes right along with it, turning a plain brick surround into a focal point instead of a leftover.
Humidity is the local wrinkle
Clyde shares Canton and Waynesville's cold-air drainage, and river humidity here rusts dampers and degrades masonry chimneys — the same damp that swells and warps a poorly dried timber.
We acclimate a reclaimed beam to the heated interior, check it for wood-boring insects and hidden moisture, and anchor it into real structure so it doesn't move once it's up.
Permit and clearance, together
Insert work means a Haywood County permit and inspection, and the beam is set to the new appliance's clearance-to-combustibles, not the old firebox. Call (828) 545-0525; Clyde is 25 minutes west of the Emma Rd showroom.
Fireplace help in Clyde
We install and service fireplaces throughout Clyde and the rest of Haywood County — just 25 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.