A Guide to WETT Certification When Selling a Home
Are you looking to sell your Niagara Falls-area home? If it includes a wood-burning fireplace, you need a Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) inspection to prove the fireplace is safe and operating properly.
Here’s why.
Why A Standard Home Inspection Isn’t Enough
In short, standard home inspectors typically lack the specialized training needed to properly evaluate wood-burning systems. You need certified experts in wood-burning heating systems to know for certain that your fireplace is safe.
This is important because, increasingly, Ontario real estate contracts include specific clauses that require proof of wood-burning safety. The realtor, the bank, and/or insurance company may all need verification that your fireplace is fully up to code.
As an aside, this is not limited to fireplaces. Any wood-burning appliance in your home may also need to be certified, such as wood furnaces or wood-burning ovens.
Proactive WETT Certification Speeds Up Your Deal
Beyond being a requirement in many cases, it’s simply a good idea to obtain a WETT certification before putting your home on the market.
Most importantly, a WETT certification provides buyer peace of mind. If a prospective buyer sees a fireplace, it can be a powerful incentive to buy the home, but only if they know it’s going to be safe for themselves and their family. WETT certification provides those assurances.
We also recommend assembling a maintenance history for your fireplace. This will be useful for the inspection itself, as well as providing one more piece of evidence that the fireplace is safe. That information might even help the new homeowner if they encounter problems in the future.
Red Flags That Require Immediate WETT Attention
In some cases, there are visible issues with a fireplace that demand a WETT inspection and may require repair before certification can be granted. These include:
- DIY modifications made by yourself or a previous owner.
- Non-compliant fireplace extensions.
- Insufficient clearance for combustibles.
- Visible cracks in the masonry.
- Rusted stovepipes or other metal chimney components.
Any of these issues can, and likely will, cause a fireplace to fail its WETT inspection. In particular, cracks or rust are automatic fail points. If you know about such problems ahead of time and get them fixed before putting the house up for sale, you’ll increase its marketability while avoiding legal roadblocks that could disrupt the sale.
Your Local Niagara Compliance Partners
When looking for a qualified WETT certifier, you want someone local to the area who is deeply familiar with Niagara Peninsula building bylaws. They will be best-positioned to ensure that your home is ready for sale. In addition, their documentation will serve as a permanent record establishing your home’s value.
Stamford Fireplaces isn’t only Niagara’s best choice for fireplaces, wood-burning fireplace inserts, and chimney sweeping. We’re also fully certified to provide Level 1 WETT inspections that can clear your home for sale while increasing your chances of attracting a buyer.
