What should I do before the first fire of the season in my wood-burning fireplace or wood stove?
In Waynesville you burn harder and longer than most of WNC — at nearly 2,650 feet the town runs 10 to 15 degrees colder and the heating season stretches about three weeks past Asheville's. So before the first fire, get the flue swept for a heavier creosote load, confirm the damper seals, and check those drafty Hazelwood fireboxes. We're 35 minutes west.
A longer, colder season means more creosote
Waynesville's elevation makes it one of the coldest towns we serve, and a longer burning season lays down more creosote on the flue walls than a milder valley home ever sees. That's not a maintenance suggestion up here — it's the difference between a safe winter and a chimney fire. Have the whole flue, cap, and crown checked before you depend on the hearth, and plan the sweep for late summer while the schedule is still open.
Old Hazelwood fireboxes leak heat
Much of Hazelwood and downtown Waynesville is older housing stock with open masonry fireplaces that pull as much warm air up the chimney as they put into the room. If yours is drafty, a sealed EPA wood insert — the Regency or Superior lines we carry — with a correctly sized liner will hold far more heat through a Haywood County cold snap. Any liner install is permitted work we pull with the county and inspect.
Have dry wood split and stacked
At this elevation you'll go through a lot of cordwood, so have seasoned hardwood — not this year's green splits — dry and ready before October. Test the damper by hand; it should swing free and seal. If it's rusted, the firebrick is failing, or you spot debris up the flue, hold off and call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Waynesville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Waynesville and the rest of Haywood County — just 35 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.
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