In Arden's Royal Pines and Skyland homes, the tired open masonry fireplace you already have is probably pulling heat out of the room — and a wood stove or insert flips that. Can one heat the whole house? A Regency Cascades F1500 covers up to 1,500 square feet, so an open main level, yes; closed-off bedrooms in a 1980s split-level, not without help.
From Heat Loser to Real Heater
Most of the open masonry fireplaces in Arden's 1980s and 90s neighborhoods are net heat losers — a wide firebox pulls more warmed room air up the flue than the fire ever puts back, and you feel the draft everywhere else in the house. The fix is a sealed appliance. A wood insert slides into that existing opening with a correctly sized stainless liner and runs commonly 70 percent efficient or better, versus the net loss of the box it replaces. A freestanding EPA stove is the other route where there's floor space for it. Either way, you go from a fireplace that cools the house to a heater that warms it — the single biggest comfort upgrade most Royal Pines and Skyland homes can make.
Reaching the Whole House
Turning that firebox into a heater doesn't automatically heat every room. A radiant stove or insert warms its own space hard and leans on air movement for the rest, so the split-levels and two-stories common here need a little help — reversed ceiling fans on low, open interior doors, and the natural rise of heat to the upper floor. A walkout basement below the stove will stay cool. If your home is large or chopped up, we'll be honest that one appliance heats the living space while your existing system covers the far bedrooms. We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector on every install. Arden is 15 minutes south — call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.
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.