How can I update my fireplace without completely replacing it?
In Arden, the signature update is turning a tired 1980s-90s open masonry fireplace — the kind common in Royal Pines and Skyland — into a real heater with a sealed insert, instead of letting it pull warm air up the chimney. We also reface and re-mantel. Natural gas runs here, and the assessment is free.
From heat-thief to heat-source
Arden's established 1980s and '90s neighborhoods — Royal Pines, Skyland, Glenn Bridge — are full of open masonry fireplaces that have quietly worked against their owners for decades. An open firebox that size doesn't just fail to heat; it actively pulls warmed room air up the chimney, so on a cold night the fireplace can leave you colder. The update that flips that is a sealed insert set into the existing opening. It commonly runs 70% efficient or better, converting a decades-long heat thief into a genuine heat source while leaving your brick and mantel exactly where they are. The same tired boxes sit in Avery Creek homes. If you like the fireplace's bones and only want it to perform, this is the single highest-payoff change we make in Arden.
The face, the fuel, and the permit
If a fresh look is also on the list, the cosmetic updates stack neatly on top — refacing the surround in stone or tile, whitewashing dated brick, a heavier mantel, a clean new front to replace worn brass. Arden runs on natural-gas mains, so a direct-vent gas insert ties in easily and, with millivolt or battery-backup ignition, gives you power-optional heat — the kind that kept working around here when Helene took the grid down for days. Extending the gas line is licensed work we permit through Buncombe County and prove to the inspector. We're only 15 minutes south of our Emma Road showroom, so scheduling a free assessment is easy. 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.