Can I convert my gas fireplace back to wood-burning, and is it worth it versus keeping gas?
Weaverville has two answers depending on which side of town you're on. In the older downtown homes, gas logs usually sit in original masonry that can go back to wood. But in the fast-growing Reems Creek subdivisions, that 'gas fireplace' is often a sealed direct-vent unit in a framed chase — it never burned wood, and converting it means a full replacement, not pulling a log set.
New construction rarely has a 'back' to go to
Weaverville's building boom matters here. A direct-vent gas fireplace installed in a new Reems Creek or Ox Creek home is a sealed appliance in a wood-framed chase — no masonry firebox, no wood-rated chimney, nothing behind it to restore. Homeowners are often surprised, because the flames look like a fireplace, but there's no wood fireplace under them. Going 'back' to wood in that house is really building a wood fireplace from scratch: demolition, framing, and a Class A chimney system. It's a legitimate project, just not a conversion.
Downtown's older homes are the easy case
The original masonry fireboxes in Weaverville's older downtown homes are a different story — many have inefficient open fireboxes that a gas log set was dropped into years ago. There, wood can return once the flue passes inspection, and the smarter heat upgrade is usually an EPA wood insert rather than restoring the open fire that loses most of its warmth up the chimney. This north-facing valley is slow to warm in spring, so real heat earns its keep well into the season.
We'll tell you which one you own
The whole decision rides on identifying your fireplace correctly, and that's a five-minute call once we see it. Weaverville is 15 minutes north of our Asheville showroom. Any gas-line cap is permitted with Buncombe County, pressure-tested, and inspected — licensed work, never a DIY job. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Weaverville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Weaverville and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes north 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?