Does a masonry chimney need waterproofing or crown maintenance?
In Swannanoa, yes — and it's front of mind here after the storm. As Grovemont-era homes get rebuilt and renovated, sealing masonry and maintaining crowns is part of doing it right, especially in a river valley whose fog and cold-air pooling are hard on brick. New hearth, old chimney, or both, the waterproofing belongs on the list.
River-valley air, working on brick
Swannanoa sits low in a river valley where fog rolls in, cold air pools, and damp lingers — conditions that keep masonry wet and then freeze it at 2,150 feet. Bee Tree and the Owen area see the same pooling. The 1940s-through-60s homes around Grovemont carry original masonry fireplaces built with the porous brick and thin crowns of their day, and decades of that valley damp have taken a toll. Waterproofing sheds the liquid water off the brick before the freeze can turn it into spalling, which is precisely the failure this climate produces.
Rebuilding is the moment to get it right
Recovery from the storm damage here has driven a wave of rebuilds, renovations, and new fireplace and stove installs — and a renovation is the ideal time to seal the masonry, repair or resurface a crown, and make sure the flue and cap are sound before the walls close up. Fixing water intrusion from the top down while the crew is already on site is far cheaper than chasing a leak through finished drywall a year later. If there's new gas involved, that's licensed work we permit and pressure-test.
Fifteen minutes east, in Buncombe
Swannanoa is a quick fifteen minutes east of our Asheville showroom, in Buncombe County. We inspect crown, brick, flashing, and cap together, seal breathable, keep the flue, liner, and cap ours, and hand full masonry rebuilds to our mason partners. Roll the waterproofing into the same visit and it's one accountable job. Late summer, before the wet cold returns to the valley, is the window to seal. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
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