I'm buying a house with a fireplace — what should I have inspected?
Buying in Waynesville means you'll actually lean on this hearth — at nearly 2,650 feet the heating season runs about three weeks longer than Asheville's, so inspect for real heat, not just looks. Older Hazelwood homes often carry drafty open fireboxes; get a Level 2 chimney inspection, and if there's gas, confirm whether it's natural gas or propane.
A hearth you'll depend on
Up here it runs 10 to 15 degrees colder than the lower WNC towns, and the season stretches longer, so a fireplace that's only decorative is a real gap. Many older Hazelwood fireboxes are open masonry that pulls warm air straight up the flue — closer to a heat loss than a heater.
A Level 2 inspection scopes the liner, measures the creosote, and checks the damper and clearances. If the numbers are poor, a sealed insert with a proper liner turns that draft into dependable heat.
Gas here runs both ways
Waynesville is mixed-fuel country — some homes tie into the natural-gas main, cabins on the slopes run propane. A unit set up for the wrong fuel runs sooty and inefficient, so confirm LP versus NG and the orifice, then test-fire and check the venting and connection.
Permit any work with Haywood County. We're 35 minutes west of the showroom — call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Waynesville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Waynesville and the rest of Haywood County — just 35 minutes west 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?