Do I need a chimney inspection before installing an insert?
Yes — every Black Mountain insert begins with a chimney inspection. The Swannanoa Valley's temperature inversions leave mornings 10 to 15 degrees colder than Asheville, and Montreat's heavily wooded, shaded lots keep chimneys damp year-round. Both quietly work on your masonry, so we scope the flue before sizing a liner or setting the appliance.
Shade, damp, and cold-air pooling
Montreat's dense tree cover keeps houses cool and moisture-prone, and damp masonry degrades mortar and clay tile faster than most homeowners realize. Add the valley's cold-air pooling — mornings here settle well below Asheville's — and a marginal flue can struggle to establish draft on the coldest days, right when you need the insert most. The camera scope shows us the true condition of the tile, the smoke chamber, and the cap, so the liner we size actually drafts through this town's cold, wet air rather than fighting it.
Fifteen minutes east, Buncombe permit
Black Mountain is natural-gas country, so a sealed gas insert is the common path once the chimney checks out. We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector on every job. Because you're only 15 minutes east of the Emma Road showroom, scheduling the inspection and, if the flue's clean, the install itself tends to move quickly. Late frost dates here mean folks want the hearth ready well before spring.
Fireplace help in Black Mountain
We install and service fireplaces throughout Black Mountain and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- My chimney is damaged — can I still install a gas insert?
- Does a wood-burning insert require a full stainless steel liner to the top of the chimney?
- Can a gas insert be installed in my existing masonry fireplace?
- Does a gas fireplace insert need a chimney liner?
- How do you measure a fireplace to know if an insert will fit?