Why does smoke come into the room when I use my wood-burning fireplace?
In Brevard, water is usually the hidden culprit. With 80-plus inches of rain a year, our Transylvania chimneys take a beating — cracked crowns and spalled brick let moisture into the flue, and a rusted damper that no longer opens fully chokes the draft. Any of these can send smoke rolling back into the room.
How our wet season breaks a chimney
Brevard's wet season runs March through June, and that relentless rain is hard on masonry. It cracks the crown, spalls the brick face, and rusts the steel damper until it warps and sticks partway shut. Crawl spaces and chimney chases here trap moisture too, so a flue can stay damp — and a damp flue runs cold and drafts poorly no matter how good your fire is. Water that gets into the liner is the quiet reason a lot of downtown Brevard fireplaces smoke.
Cabins and downtown alike
Whether it's a home near downtown or a mountain cabin out in propane country toward Connestee Falls, the pattern is the same: a chimney that's been soaked one too many seasons, plus the ordinary layer of creosote, unseasoned firewood, and a cold flue at startup. A stainless cap and a dry, correctly sized liner change the whole equation.
The fix and the permit
We inspect the crown, liner, damper, and draft, and we pull the Transylvania County permit for any relining or crown work. A sealed insert with a stainless liner sheds the moisture problem for good — 40 minutes southwest of our Emma Road showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
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