Is Western North Carolina a high-radon area, and does adding a fireplace affect radon levels?
Yes — Arden, in Buncombe County, sits in the EPA's highest radon zone, and the tired open fireplaces common in Royal Pines and Skyland are worth a second look because of it. A fireplace doesn't make radon, but a drafty open firebox pulling room air can lift more soil gas up from below. The sealed-insert upgrade that fixes the draft fixes that too.
The drafty box is doing two things
Arden's 1980s–90s homes came with open masonry fireplaces that, by now, mostly pull heat out of the room instead of adding it. That same open draw does something less visible: it puts the house under slight negative pressure and draws make-up air from its leakiest points — often the crawlspace, where radon from the granite bedrock collects. So the tired firebox you already want to fix for comfort is also the one adding to your radon draw. Elevation keeps Arden evenings cool most of the year, so these fireplaces run often.
One upgrade, both problems
Dropping a sealed gas insert into that existing opening solves both at once. It turns the drafty box into a real, efficient heater, and because it breathes through a liner and coaxial venting to the outdoors, it stops drawing room air entirely — no more depressurizing the house, no more pull on the crawlspace below. On Arden's natural-gas mains the fuel side is simple, and it's the single most satisfying upgrade we do here — radon is one more reason it pays off.
Test the number, pull the permit
Before the insert goes in, run a radon test so you know your baseline — we install hearths, not radon systems, and the number guides the choice. If it's high, sealed is clearly right; mitigation itself belongs to a specialist. A free in-home assessment sorts the sizing. We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, and we're fifteen minutes south of the showroom. 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
- Can a wood-burning fireplace or stove actually pull more radon into the house?
- Are sealed direct-vent fireplaces the better choice for a home with radon concerns?
- Can a radon mitigation system interfere with my fireplace's draft, or vice versa?
- My home has an encapsulated crawlspace or a tight envelope — does my fireplace or wood stove need outside combustion air?
- Can a heavy fireplace or stone surround be installed in a home built over a crawlspace?