My fireplace or chimney was flooded during Hurricane Helene — is it safe to use?
No — don't light a flood-damaged Arden fireplace before it's inspected. Many homes in Royal Pines and Skyland have open masonry fireboxes that were already drafty, and floodwater makes them unsafe as well as inefficient — soaking the flue liner and loosening mortar you can't see. Have it checked first. Call (828) 545-0525.
Arden's older open fireboxes and hidden flood damage
The 1980s and '90s homes across Skyland, Royal Pines, and Glenn Bridge often have open masonry fireplaces that pull as much heat out of the room as they put in. That inefficiency is one thing; flood damage is another. Water washes silt into the smoke chamber, saturates the liner, and can loosen mortar at the base of the stack — none of it visible from the hearth. A chimney that's shifted or soaked isn't safe to fire, whatever it looks like from your living room.
If replacement makes sense, upgrade the right way
A tired open firebox is often a candidate for a sealed insert that finally makes it a real heater — but after a flood, that conversation waits on the inspection. If a gas insert or line enters the picture, a submerged valve or board gets replaced, not dried, and reconnecting the fuel is licensed gas work. We'll tell you honestly whether the existing chimney is worth relining and reusing or whether starting fresh is the smarter money.
Buncombe permit, close to home
Arden is about 15 minutes south of our Emma Road showroom, so scheduling is quick. On any gas or structural repair we pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, and the written report documents the loss for your insurance. 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
- A storm or falling tree damaged my chimney — what needs to be checked before I use the fireplace?
- Does homeowners insurance cover replacing a flood- or storm-damaged fireplace?
- After Hurricane Helene, what's the best fireplace setup so my family is never without heat again?
- Should I have the fireplace and chimney inspected before using them in a WNC home I just bought?
- Can a gas fireplace heat my house through a multi-day outage like the one after Hurricane Helene?