Flat Rock's historic homes — some dating to the 1800s, with oversized masonry hearths — pair naturally with a stone-surround gas fire pit, and yes, it can stay outdoors all winter. At 2,261 feet the cold is no threat. The wrinkle for a masonry-built pit is the mortar joints: they hold water, and Henderson County's freeze-thaw swings work on trapped moisture hard.
Masonry looks the part — and holds water
A cut-stone or brick fire pit suits Flat Rock's historic character in a way a bare metal bowl never will, but the same joints that give it that look are where water hides. Rain and snowmelt seep into mortar, freeze, and expand — the identical process that spalls the old open chimneys around Historic Flat Rock and Highland Lake. A well-built pit is sealed and drained so that cycle can't get a foothold.
Under the stone, protect the burner
The good looks are masonry; the working part is a gas burner, and that's what winter targets. On the natural-gas pits we run along the Flat Rock mains there's no tank to store — you close the shutoff valve — but the burner pan still has to drain and stay covered so it isn't sitting in a frozen puddle by January. Spec'd with stainless, it handles years of mountain winters.
Permitted, and built to last
Running gas to the pit is licensed work we permit with Henderson County — protecting both your insurance and a historic home's value. Do the drainage, sealing, and cover right and a masonry gas pit stays put year-round. Portable tabletop units are the exception. We're 30 minutes south; call (828) 545-0525 to talk it through.
Fireplace help in Flat Rock
We install and service fireplaces throughout Flat Rock and the rest of Henderson County — just 30 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.