Can I convert my gas fireplace back to wood-burning, and is it worth it versus keeping gas?
Black Mountain's answer hinges on your firebox and your trees. On the wooded lots around Montreat and up the Swannanoa Valley, homes lean on their hearths and firewood is close at hand — so if your gas logs sit in an original masonry fireplace, going back to wood is realistic. Tall-timber lots also mean downdrafts, though, so the chimney's draw gets checked before wood returns.
Wooded lots, cold mornings, real draw questions
The heavily wooded lots that keep Black Mountain and Montreat homes cool and shaded also surround them with firewood — one reason wood heat holds on here. But those same tall trees, plus the ridges around the Swannanoa Valley, cause downdrafts that can push smoke back into the room. Valley temperature inversions make mornings run 10 to 15 degrees colder than Asheville, so a cold flue sits in the chimney like a plug on a still morning. Any conversion back to wood gets a draft check, not just a line cap — a fireplace that won't draw is worse than the gas you replaced.
Gas here is convenient; wood is independent
Black Mountain has natural-gas service, so keeping gas is the low-effort path — flip a switch, no hauling, and with battery-backup ignition it keeps heating through an outage. Wood is the trade-up for total grid independence and the kind of steady heat these longer, colder winters reward, provided you're set up for the chimney work and the wood chores. Plenty of local homeowners keep the gas fireplace for daily use and add a wood stove for storm weeks — the best of both, honestly.
Fifteen minutes east, Buncombe permit
We're just 15 minutes east of our Emma Road showroom, so a look at your fireplace and chimney is quick to schedule. Capping a gas line is licensed, permitted with Buncombe County, and pressure-tested. Call (828) 545-0525 and we'll tell you which of the three fireplace types you own and whether wood makes sense on your lot.
Fireplace help in Black Mountain
We install and service fireplaces throughout Black Mountain and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Should I get a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?
- Which fireplace still works during a power outage — gas, wood, or electric?
- Should I install gas logs or keep burning real wood in my fireplace?
- Is it cheaper to heat your house with wood or with gas?
- Which requires more maintenance, a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?