In Arden, the 1980s-90s homes in Royal Pines and Skyland were built with open masonry fireplaces, and those leak from the top for the same reason they waste heat — the chimney is a big, exposed opening. A rain-only leak here traces to a cracked crown, a missing cap, failed flashing, or porous brick, and sealing it can fix the draftiness too.
An open chimney is an open target
An open masonry fireplace vents up a wide flue, and everything that protects it from rain — the crown, the cap, the flashing, the brick — sits fully exposed on the roof. In Arden's older neighborhoods those defenses have had thirty-plus years to crack, loosen, and go porous. So the leak that shows up during storms is usually the same tired chimney top that lets cold air pour down into the room on a windy night: two symptoms, one worn-out structure.
One upgrade solves both
Because these fireplaces already drag heat out of the house, a lot of Arden owners solve the water and the draft in a single move — a sealed gas insert with a correctly sized liner. The liner and cap close the rain out, and the sealed insert turns a heat-losing hole into a real, efficient, power-optional heater. If you'd rather keep the open hearth, we simply reseal the top instead; either way the diagnosis comes first.
Close to home
Arden is fifteen minutes south of our Emma Road showroom. We find where the water truly enters, coordinate Buncombe County masonry repair through our mason partners, and handle the natural-gas line for any insert under our license, permitted and inspected. 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.