I'm buying a house with a fireplace — what should I have inspected?
In Black Mountain, inspect for two mountain problems at once: moisture and cold. Montreat's heavily wooded, shaded lots keep chimneys damp and slow to dry, and the Swannanoa Valley inversion drops mornings 10 to 15 degrees below Asheville. Get a Level 2 scan of the flue and crown, and if it's gas, a full function-and-safety check before your contingency closes.
Shade, damp, and cold-air pooling
The wooded lots around Montreat and the Swannanoa Valley never let masonry fully dry out, which accelerates spalling, rusts dampers, and lets water sit in the flue. The valley inversion also means you'll run the hearth hard on cold mornings and later into spring, when frost dates run past Asheville's.
A Level 2 inspection scopes the liner and checks the crown and clearances for the damage that damp, shaded chimneys hide.
Gas on the Buncombe main
Black Mountain sits on natural gas. Confirm the fuel, test the ignition, and check that the venting isn't spilling and the connection isn't leaking. We also flag the things sellers rarely mention — an insert dropped in without a liner, or a ventless set where it doesn't belong.
Check the permit trail with Buncombe County; unpermitted gas work can risk the sale and insurance. We're 15 minutes east — call (828) 545-0525.
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
- Does a standard home inspection cover the fireplace and chimney?
- What is a Level 2 chimney inspection and do I need one when buying a house?
- Is it safe to use the fireplace in a house I just bought before having it serviced?
- Will my homeowner's insurance have issues with an existing wood stove in a house I'm buying?
- Should I ask the seller to repair or service the fireplace before closing on a house?