Building a new home — should we frame for a direct-vent gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace with a chimney?
For an Asheville build, direct-vent gas is the usual default — most in-town and South Asheville lots sit on the natural-gas mains, and a sealed unit drops into a tight new house wherever the plan wants it. But if your home is echoing the old Montford and North Asheville masonry look, frame the chase for wood now; a chimney is the one option you can't add cheaply later.
Two Ashevilles, two right answers
The city splits cleanly. New infill and South Asheville construction are tight, well-sealed houses — exactly what sealed direct-vent combustion suits, venting out a sidewall or the roof with no chimney at all. A Napoleon Ascent 36 or Heatilator Novus nXt 36 is a sound first gas fireplace for that kind of build. The other Asheville nods to Montford and North Asheville's original fireboxes; there a framed Class A chimney keeps a real wood fire on the table, and a chase built for wood still welcomes a gas log set or sealed insert down the road. A slim gas-only opening won't take a chimney once the great room is finished.
Cold nights, showroom five minutes away
At 2,134 feet Asheville holds nights in the 20s well into spring, so this is a heater you'll lean on, not just light for looks. That argues for a real appliance either way — an efficient direct-vent gas unit, or an EPA wood fireplace you own outright when the grid drops. Our showroom sits at 629 Emma Rd, so a framing-week walkthrough is a short drive; seeing the units in person before the drywall goes up saves the expensive second-guessing.
Buncombe permit, one accountable crew
Either way, running or extending the gas line is licensed work in North Carolina — a showroom or a mason can sell the firebox but legally can't connect it to fuel. We're a licensed gas contractor: we coordinate with your builder at rough-in, run and pressure-test the line, pull the Buncombe County permit, and meet the inspector. Call (828) 545-0525 while the framers are on site, before anything gets closed in behind sheetrock.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.
Related questions
- Should I get a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?
- Which adds more resale value to a home, a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?
- Which lasts longer, a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?
- Which fireplace still works during a power outage — gas, wood, or electric?
- What's the difference between a zero-clearance fireplace and a masonry fireplace?