Which fireplace problems can I safely fix myself and which need a technician?
In Arden, many 1980s-90s homes in Royal Pines and Skyland still have tired open masonry fireplaces, where the safe-DIY list is just cold ash, a damper glance, and a clear cap. There's no gas remote to reset — and turning that drafty box into a real heater with a sealed insert is licensed gas work we permit through Buncombe County.
A drafty open box has almost no gas DIY
Arden's established Royal Pines, Skyland, and Glenn Bridge neighborhoods are full of open masonry fireplaces from the 1980s and 90s that pull more heat out of the room than they put in. On one of these there's no remote, no receiver, no wall switch to blame — so your safe tasks are the fundamentals: shovel cold ash, confirm the damper opens and closes, and keep the chimney cap clear of debris.
Because these are wood-burning masonry hearths, the specialized line isn't a gas valve but the flue and creosote — a cracked liner or heavy creosote is an inspection and a sweep, never a DIY scrape.
The insert upgrade, and Buncombe permits
The satisfying fix here is a sealed gas or wood insert with a correctly sized liner, which converts a heat-losing open fireplace into something that actually warms the room. Every gas conversion runs the licensed line — in North Carolina a mason can set stone but legally can't connect fuel, and we can, permitting the work with Buncombe County and pressure-testing the line.
Arden's on natural gas and just 15 minutes south of our Emma Road showroom, so a free in-home assessment is easy to schedule. To make a drafty firebox earn its keep, 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.
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