This four year old South Jersey home was advertised as having a cozy family room with a natural gas fireplace. After completing my home inspection, I believe this fireplace was a little too cozy. No evidence of problems was observed in the family room. However, the exterior of the 
fireplace showed melted vinyl siding.
As the fireplace was positioned at the rear of the house which faced north, I ruled out any sun reflection and concluded that an installation defect was likely. As similar to other fuel burning equipment, the manufacturer provides detailed instructions regarding safe clearances to combustible materials and proper vent installation which can include insulating the vent.
The next step would be to open the exterior wall or fireplace for evaluation and to determine the repair remedy. In the interim, I strongly advised the buyer not to use the fireplace.
With cool weather making a return, maybe the seller will provide credit for a Snuggie to simulate that cozy feeling in the family room.
Glen Fisher southjerseynpi@aol.com
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