Can I keep a Victorian or antique fireplace look while adding a modern insert?
Yes — and in the rural valleys around Mars Hill that usually means propane or wood. Homes up Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek run off the mains, so we set a propane insert for LP or fit a wood insert with the right liner. Either one slides into an old farmhouse firebox and keeps its mantel and hearth while adding real, efficient heat.
Propane or wood for off-the-main homes
The academic-year rentals near campus keep demand on easy, flip-a-switch gas, but the rural Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek homes are propane-and-wood country, and Mars Hill runs cold. That shapes the unit. A propane insert set with the right orifices, or an EPA wood insert on a correctly sized liner, both drop inside the existing farmhouse firebox. The old brick, mantel, and hearth stay put, and the working fire behind them finally matches the elevation.
Keeping the old-house look
Authenticity is in the front and the flame, not the technology. A framed insert in matte black or antique bronze with a cast log set reads right in a country parlor; a Valor gives radiant heat with no electricity at all, useful where mountain power is less than reliable. An insert commonly runs 70% efficient or better than the open box it replaces, so the room keeps its character and gains genuine warmth.
Madison County permit and pressure test
Propane piping and gas connection are licensed work — the tank stays with your supplier, but the hookup, regulator, and pressure test are ours to permit. We pull the Madison County permit and meet the inspector. Call (828) 545-0525; Mars Hill is 30 minutes north of our Asheville showroom.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Will a gas insert ruin the look of my masonry fireplace?
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- How do I get a traditional classic fireplace look with an ornate mantel?
- Do wood-burning inserts come in modern styles?
- How can I update my fireplace without completely replacing it?