What annual maintenance does a wood-burning insert need?

Rain is the enemy up here

Brevard's rainfall is the reason its chimney maintenance looks different. Water works into crowns and mortar joints, freezes, and pries them apart; it rusts the damper and cap; and it soaks into the masonry chase a wood insert vents through. Downtown homes and the mountain cabins around Connestee Falls and Sherwood Forest both sit in that damp, and crawl spaces and chimney chases here are especially prone to moisture damage. So our annual visit checks the crown, the cap, the top-plate seal, and the liner for rust and corrosion — the failure points heavy rain creates — on top of the standard creosote sweep.

The full annual once-over

We sweep and inspect the stainless liner its whole length, look over the firebrick for cracks, test the door gasket, vacuum cold ash, clean the glass, and dust the blower. Reaching the entire liner often means easing the insert partway out of the opening, so this is a scheduled professional service done to CSIA and NFPA standards.

With so many cabins out here on propane, wood inserts are a popular way to own your heat outright — no fuel delivery, and warmth even when the power's down. Time your service for late summer, after the wettest months, before the burning season. We pull the Transylvania County permit when needed and service all major wood brands. Call (828) 545-0525.