Should I get a fireplace and chimney safety inspection before buying an older home?
Yes, and in Arden the classic finding is a tired open masonry fireplace from the 1980s and '90s that's been quietly pulling heat out of the house. Royal Pines and Skyland are full of them. Before you buy, have the flue scoped and the firebox evaluated — a drafty old hearth can hide a cracked liner along with its inefficiency.
The open fireplace that heats the outdoors
An open masonry fireplace looks like an asset and often behaves like a hole in the wall — a good share of the heat goes up the flue, and on a cold night it draws warm room air out with it. Arden's 1980s and '90s homes in Royal Pines, Skyland, and Glenn Bridge are full of these. Inefficiency is the visible problem; the one you can't see is a flue liner that's cracked or a crown that's failing. A general home inspection won't catch it. Our camera pass will.
Turn it into a real heater
If the inspection confirms a worn-out open firebox, a sealed insert is usually the answer — it drops into the existing opening, ties into Arden's natural-gas mains, and turns a heat-loser into a heater that throws real warmth into the room. Inserts commonly run 70 percent efficient or better, where an open masonry fireplace can actually run a net heat loss. We handle the appliance, the liner, the gas line, and the Buncombe County permit as one licensed crew.
Fifteen minutes south
Arden is 15 minutes south of our Asheville showroom, so we can get out inside your due-diligence window — when a chimney or firebox finding is still a seller credit rather than your expense. 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.