Does a masonry chimney need waterproofing or crown maintenance?
Yes — Arden's 1980s and 90s homes around Royal Pines and Skyland are full of open masonry fireplaces whose crowns and brick have weathered thirty-plus years without much attention. At 2,150 feet on natural gas, those tired stacks both leak heat and take on water. Annual waterproofing and crown maintenance is how you protect the masonry you're heating past.
Thirty-year-old open hearths
The open masonry fireplaces in Royal Pines, Skyland, and Avery Creek have quietly weathered three-plus decades of mountain rain and freeze. Crowns poured in the 80s and 90s develop cracks; mortar joints open; brick faces start to spall where water has soaked in and frozen. The Biltmore Park side skews to newer commercial and townhome builds where a metal chase cover replaces the crown. None of it is dramatic on any given day, which is why it gets ignored until a stain appears on the ceiling. A yearly look at the crown and a breathable sealant on the brick stops the slow decay before it reaches that point.
Waterproofing pairs with the insert upgrade
Arden homeowners are increasingly turning those drafty open fireboxes into real heaters with sealed inserts — and that upgrade is the natural moment to also seal the masonry and repair the crown. A new insert needs a correctly sized liner, and it makes no sense to run a fresh liner down a chimney that's letting water in around a cracked crown. Do the waterproofing and crown work at the same time and the whole stack — masonry, liner, and appliance — comes out protected and efficient at once.
Fifteen minutes south, Buncombe County
Arden is a quick fifteen minutes south of our Asheville showroom, in Buncombe County. We inspect crown, brick, flashing, and cap, seal breathable rather than paint, keep the flue, liner, and cap ours, and route full crown rebuilds to our mason partners. Late summer, before the cold sets in, is when to seal and repair. Catch a crown crack while it's small and it stays a small bill. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What is a chimney chase cover, and when does it need replacing?
- Do chimney caps need to be inspected or replaced?
- How long does a chimney liner last, and when should it be replaced?
- Does the flashing where the chimney meets the roof need periodic inspection?
- Does an outdoor masonry or stone fireplace need sealing to protect it from freeze-thaw damage?