Should I get a fireplace and chimney safety inspection before buying an older home?
Yes — and in Asheville that inspection has to account for two very different housing worlds. A Montford or North Asheville bungalow may hide a century-old unlined masonry flue, while a newer South Asheville build carries clean-face gas that still needs its venting and gas connections verified. One camera pass before closing tells you which surprise you're buying.
Two Asheville homes, two different risks
Buying in Montford, West Asheville, or Grove Park usually means an original masonry fireplace that predates modern chimney codes — clay tiles that have weathered a hundred mountain winters, mortar that's given up, sometimes no liner at all behind the brick. Newer South Asheville and Biltmore Village construction flips the concern: the firebox looks flawless, but the direct-vent termination, the flashing, and — on a gas unit — the fuel line and valve are what actually need eyes on them. A general home inspector notes 'fireplace present' and moves on. We scope the flue with a camera and, because we're a licensed gas contractor, pressure-test the line on the same trip instead of sending you to hunt for a second company.
Right down the road from our shop
Our showroom sits at 629 Emma Rd, so an Asheville inspection is the easiest scheduling we do — no drive-time to work around your due-diligence clock. Get the results while you can still act on them: if the flue needs relining or the crown is cracked, that becomes a credit you negotiate with the seller instead of a bill you meet your first cold week. And elevation matters here — nights still drop into the 20s well into spring, so you'll be leaning on that hearth sooner than a flatland buyer would.
Repair the old flue, or drop in an insert
Sometimes an old Asheville chimney is worth restoring, and sometimes the smarter money is a sealed insert set into the original opening — you keep the mantel and the character, and gain a flue that's actually safe and a fire that throws real heat. We'll tell you honestly which way the numbers point before you commit. Call (828) 545-0525 and we'll get you inside your inspection window.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.