Do I need a chimney inspection before installing an insert?
Yes — a Fairview insert begins with a chimney inspection, and on these wooded lots that's as much a safety check as a sizing step. Fairview runs heavily on propane and wood, and creosote buildup from years of wood fires is the leading cause of chimney fires here. Before a wood or gas insert goes in, we scope the flue to find it.
Creosote is the real risk
The wooded lots up Cane Creek and Garren Creek make wood heat a natural choice, and homes that burn a lot of wood without a fall sweep build up creosote — the glazed, flammable residue that coats a flue and feeds chimney fires. A wood insert with a fresh stainless liner has to sit on a clean, sound chimney, not one packed with last winter's creosote. The camera scope catches that buildup along with cracked tile and blockage, which is exactly why the look comes before any liner or appliance decision on a wood-burning home.
Propane cabins and the permit
Fairview is mixed-fuel with a lot of propane, so a sealed LP gas insert is a common alternative to wood, and it too vents through a liner in the existing chimney. Whichever you choose, the flue has to be sound. Once it checks out, we pull the Buncombe County permit and pressure-test any gas or propane line we run. Fairview is 15 minutes east of the Asheville showroom.
Fireplace help in Fairview
We install and service fireplaces throughout Fairview 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?