What Is a WETT Inspection and Why Does Your Fireplace Need One?
One of the least-known aspects of fireplace ownership is actually one of the most important: the WETT inspection. While not legally required, having regular WETT inspections from a qualified inspection service is a very good idea, and may even be necessary to maintain your homeowner’s insurance in Canada.
So, let’s talk about fireplace WETT inspections and why they’re so important.
What Is WETT?
WETT is the Wood Energy Technology Transfer, a non-profit volunteer-led organization devoted entirely to maintaining the safety of wood-burning fireplaces, stoves, and similar systems in Canada. They have no ulterior motive here. There’s always the risk of house fires and other dangers from fireplaces, and WETT was established to reduce that risk.
The WETT fireplace inspection is simply an inspection done by an inspector certified as an expert by WETT, and is considered the gold standard for fire-system inspections in Canada.
Why You Need WETT Inspections
1. Protect yourself
The chances of fire or other accidents involving fireplaces are low, but definitely there. A poorly installed or badly maintained fireplace can be a source of house fires, with roughly 6% of North American house fires starting this way. There can be other dangers as well, such as an improperly built chimney allowing too much smoke and soot into your home.
When your wood-burning fireplace or stove is WETT certified, you can know it’s truly safe for use.
2. Maintaining your homeowner’s insurance
While, again, this is not a legal mandate, most homeowner’s insurance policies require fireplaces to be WETT certified. If you can’t produce proof of certification, you could lose your coverage – or have them refuse to cover the damages if a fire does occur.
3. Improving your home’s sellability
Are you thinking about selling your home in the future? If it has a fireplace, your buyer and/or realtor will expect it to be WETT inspected. People won’t be willing to buy a fireplace they don’t know they can trust.
What’s Involved in a WETT Inspection?
In most cases, the WETT fireplace inspection is relatively quick and painless. The inspector will carefully examine the construction of your fireplace, inside and out, looking for any signs of damage, neglect, or improper installation. This will also involve inspecting the chimney. In some cases, the technician may require access to your roof to inspect the top of the chimney, if they notice something unusual from below.
In general, it’s best to have a WETT inspection once a year, to ensure that your wood-burning fireplace or stove is in good condition.
Stamford Fireplaces Is Your All-In-One Fireplace Source
For over 40 years, we’ve been serving the greater Niagara area with the best in custom fireplaces, cleaning, and services – including WETT inspections. If we build your fireplace, you’ll know it was a quality WETT-certified design from the start, and we’re also happy to inspect or maintain fireplaces from any other source.
Don’t let your WETT certification lapse – contact Stamford Fireplaces for an inspection!
