What annual maintenance does a wood-burning insert need?

After the water, inspect before you burn

Canton's mill-town homes sit on the Pigeon River valley floor, and the flooding of recent years left a lot of hearths and gas appliances needing full replacement. A wood insert that came through high water — or one in a home that took on moisture — needs more than a sweep before it's trusted again. We inspect the stainless liner for corrosion, check the firebrick and refractory for cracking, and look over the whole chimney for water damage that hides behind the masonry. Even inserts that stayed dry face the valley's morning fog, which rusts dampers and chimney caps here earlier than in drier towns.

The yearly service, done right

A normal annual visit sweeps and inspects the full liner, checks the cap and top-plate seal, tests the door and glass gaskets, vacuums cold ash, cleans the glass, and dusts the blower. Reaching the entire liner usually means pulling the insert partway out of the opening — proper work, done to CSIA and NFPA standards.

A wood insert is also a smart hedge for a town that's lost power: it's grid-independent heat that keeps working when the lines go down. Book late summer or early fall. We pull the Haywood County permit and its inspection when the job requires it, and we service every major wood brand. Call (828) 545-0525.