Can I convert my wood-burning fireplace to gas?
Yes — and in Historic Flat Rock it is often the smartest thing you can do for a very old house. Many homes here date to the 1800s with oversized open masonry fireplaces and aging clay flue liners that pull cold drafts into the room. Converting to a sealed gas insert on the natural-gas line stops the draft and keeps the fireplace's character intact.
The draft problem in an 1800s hearth
An oversized open firebox with a cracked or undersized clay liner behaves like an open window in winter — cold air sits in the chimney like a plug, and when the fire is out, the flue can pull heated room air straight up and out. In Flat Rock's historic homes, that is the number-one complaint, and it is why so many owners here are converting. A sealed gas insert fitted with a correctly sized stainless liner ends the draft, keeps the heat in the room, and turns a heat-losing hearth into one that runs 70 percent efficient or better. Kanuga, Highland Lake, and the Village blocks are full of exactly these houses.
Keep the look, gain the heat
Character is the whole reason people love these homes, so we work to preserve it — a period mantel and stone surround stay, and the insert fits inside the original masonry opening. If the wood-fire look matters to you above all else, a Real Fyre vented log set is the ambiance route and drops right in, but be clear-eyed: like an open fire, it sends most of its heat up the chimney and will not fix the draftiness. When the goal is a warm, tight room in an old house, the sealed insert is the honest answer.
Licensed line, Henderson permit
Running the gas line into an antique masonry structure takes a licensed hand — legally, only a gas contractor can connect it — and we permit with Henderson County and meet the inspector, which also protects your insurance and any future sale. Flat Rock is about 30 minutes south. Call (828) 545-0525.
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.