I just moved into a home with a fireplace — should I have it inspected before using it?
Yes, and in Fairview the wood question leads. Wooded lots make wood heat natural here, and creosote buildup is the top cause of chimney fires when a flue goes a season without a sweep. If you inherited a wood-burning fireplace on one of these rural properties, assume nothing about how clean the flue is — get it inspected and swept before the first fire.
Creosote is the real risk
Fairview's wooded lots toward Cane Creek and Garren Creek make wood heat a natural choice, and steady wood burning is exactly what glazes a flue with creosote — the leading cause of chimney fires when it isn't swept each fall. A fireplace you just took over could be carrying years of buildup you can't see from the firebox, left by an owner who burned it hard and swept it seldom. Our inspection reads the creosote load, checks the liner, damper, and cap, and we sweep it clean before you ever light it, so you're not gambling on an unknown flue.
Propane and the outage angle
Many Fairview homes also run propane rather than a gas main, and out here — wooded, rural, on the edge of the grid — a wood or propane hearth is real backup heat when the power goes down. That only holds if the unit is sound, so we verify a propane connection, regulator, and venting, or a wood flue's integrity, before you count on it as the thing that keeps the house warm through an outage.
Licensed, permitted, seasonal
We're 15 minutes west in Asheville. Any propane or gas piping is licensed, permitted work with Buncombe County. After the first inspection and sweep, keep to a yearly fall sweep — booked in late summer, before you're leaning on the heat. Call (828) 545-0525.
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
- Do I need a chimney inspection when buying or selling a home?
- What are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 chimney inspections?
- Does a fireplace I never use still need to be inspected?
- What is the difference between a chimney inspection and a chimney sweeping?
- Do fireplaces and chimneys in older homes need more frequent maintenance?