Which fireplace problems can I safely fix myself and which need a technician?

After high water, don't relight — inspect

Canton sits on the Pigeon River valley floor, and recent flooding left many mill-town homes with hearths and gas appliances that took on water. Here's the part that matters: a gas valve, control board, or pilot assembly that's been submerged can look fine and still be unsafe. Don't relight a flood-exposed unit to 'test' it — corroded internals and compromised gas connections need a technician's inspection first, and that's licensed work in North Carolina.

On units that stayed dry, the ordinary self-serve list still applies: remote and receiver batteries, the wall switch, the shutoff position, and cleaning cool glass.

Damp valleys, Haywood County permits

Even setting the flood aside, Canton's valley-floor fog and dampness rust dampers and chimney caps earlier than you'd expect, so seized dampers and corroded metal are common local calls — none of them a caulk-and-hope fix. When we replace or reconnect a gas appliance, we permit it with Haywood County and meet the inspector, which protects your insurance on a rebuilt home.

Before you strike a flame

Canton is about 20 minutes west of our Asheville showroom. If your fireplace saw water or won't light after the off-season, call (828) 770-8079 — and if you ever smell sulfur, leave the house and call from outside.