What should I do before the first fire of the season in my wood-burning fireplace or wood stove?
Flat Rock's historic homes are the whole story here — many date to the 1800s with oversized open masonry fireplaces and aging clay flue liners that crack with age. Before the first fire, have those liners inspected closely, sweep out the creosote, confirm the big damper still seals, and burn dry hardwood. We're 30 minutes south in Henderson County.
Century-old flues hide cracked clay
The oversized fireplaces in Historic Flat Rock and around Kanuga were built for a different era, and their clay flue liners are often the oldest part of the system. Clay cracks and shifts over a hundred-plus winters, and a cracked liner is exactly what lets heat and creosote reach the wood framing behind the masonry. A close pre-season inspection of that liner isn't optional on a house this old — it's the single most important thing we look at before you light it.
Big open hearths pull cold air in
These grand old fireboxes look wonderful and lose heat badly — an oversized open hearth draws cold-air drafts into the room and sends warmth up the flue. If you want to keep the character but stop the draft, a sealed insert sized to the opening, with a new stainless liner, is the fix. That liner work is licensed and permitted with Henderson County, and it preserves the mantel and surround you love.
Sweep, seal, and season your wood
Have the flue swept, the crown and cap checked, and the damper tested by hand before the season. Burn only seasoned hardwood in a fireplace this size. If the liner is cracked or the damper won't seal, don't light it — call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Flat Rock
We install and service fireplaces throughout Flat Rock and the rest of Henderson County — just 30 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
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