In Arden, water in the firebox tends to strike the tired open masonry fireplaces in Royal Pines and Skyland, 1980s-90s builds whose caps, crowns, and flashing are aging out. Rain gets past worn weatherproofing and pools in a firebox that has no seal to stop it. A sealed insert both ends the leak and turns a drafty hearth into a real heater.
Aging open hearths, aging weatherproofing
The open masonry fireplaces built into Arden's 1980s and 90s homes around Royal Pines, Skyland, and Glenn Bridge are now decades old, and the parts that keep water out, the cap, the crown slab, the flashing at the roofline, age right along with them. When they fail, rain runs the open flue straight into the firebox and sits there. Because these hearths are open rather than sealed, there is nothing to catch it before it rusts the damper and grate.
The upgrade that solves two problems
These same tired open fireplaces pull heat out of the room even when they are not leaking, a draft running up an oversized flue. A correctly sized sealed gas insert closes the flue against both the draft and the weather, and turns a decorative hole in the wall into an appliance that actually warms the room. For a lot of Arden homeowners, a water leak is what finally justifies the upgrade.
Fifteen minutes south
Arden sits a short run from our Emma Road showroom, in Buncombe County. We inspect the chimney top, find where water is getting in, and lay out whether a targeted repair or a sealed insert is the right call. 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.