Is it OK to burn storm-fall or dead trees from my own property?
In Sylva you're in Jackson County — a different permit office than most of our Buncombe work — and about fifty minutes from our Asheville showroom, so plan any inspection ahead of the season. Your own storm-fall is fine firewood, but the Tuckasegee valley's river moisture is hard on flues, and a lot of the rental stock here is inconsistently maintained.
River-valley flues need a look
Cold-air drainage and the moisture coming off the Tuckasegee rust dampers and degrade clay liners faster here than in drier towns. A good deal of the rental housing near Western Carolina and the older masonry over in Dillsboro hasn't had a real inspection in years, and heavy use with little maintenance is a bad combination under a season of home-cut wood. Before you burn, have the liner and damper checked. Jackson County permits any reline or insert, and we meet their inspector — the county your work is in issues the permit, and we handle it end to end.
Season with the distance in mind
Being roughly an hour out, the last thing you want is a mid-winter no-heat scramble, so get ahead of it. Split and stack a full season's worth off the ground with the top covered and the sides open. The damp river valley slows drying, so give green oak the long end of six to twelve months and confirm under 20 percent with a moisture meter before you rely on it.
Feed it clean
Burn only natural, untreated wood — nothing painted, stained, or treated. Keep pine for kindling rather than steady heat, since it creosotes faster. And keep the annual sweep on the calendar, especially with river-valley moisture already working on the flue. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Sylva
We install and service fireplaces throughout Sylva and the rest of Jackson County — just 50 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.