Why does smoke come into the room when I use my wood-burning fireplace?
In Swannanoa, two things drive the smoke. Recent storm damage shifted and cracked chimneys in Grovemont and along the river, opening draft leaks; and our valley's fog and cold-air pooling leave masonry flues damp and cold, so smoke won't rise until the chimney warms. In a rebuilt home, both can be at play at once.
After the storm
The storm that darkened this valley for days also moved masonry. A stack that shifted even slightly can crack its liner and open leaks that quietly kill the draft, so a chimney that drafted fine before may smoke now. Anyone rebuilding or renovating around Grovemont and Bee Tree should have the flue looked over before the first fire — and it's worth remembering that through those long outages, the homes that stayed warm were the ones with a working hearth, which is why we're installing so many new fireplaces and stoves in rebuilt Swannanoa homes.
The river valley's damp, cold air
Even undamaged, Swannanoa's chimneys fight fog and cold-air pooling off the river. Damp masonry holds moisture that keeps the flue cold and sluggish, so smoke drifts at the opening on foggy mornings before the column finally warms and starts to pull. Those 1940s-to-'60s Grovemont fireboxes were never strong drafters to begin with.
The rebuild opportunity
We inspect the structure and draft and pull the Buncombe County permit for any relining. A sealed wood or natural-gas insert with a new liner drafts reliably and gives you outage-ready heat — 15 minutes east of our showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
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