Can I remove my fireplace and chimney entirely to open up the wall during a remodel?
In Swannanoa the trend runs the other way. After the storm, homeowners rebuilding here have been adding fireplaces and stoves, not tearing them out, because an open wall gave no heat when the power was gone. If you do remove, the Grovemont-era masonry stacks are usually structural. We cap any gas line first, under Buncombe County permit.
Rebuilding toward heat, not away from it
Swannanoa took real storm damage, and the recovery reshaped what people want from a fireplace. Across Grovemont and the Owen area we're installing more hearths and stoves in rebuilt homes, not removing them, because the households that stayed warm through the outage were the ones with a working fire. If you're mid-rebuild and thinking about pulling the chimney to open the wall, weigh that hard; you'd be giving up the exact backup heat this valley just learned to value.
If it comes down, know what it is
The 1940s-60s homes here carry original masonry fireplaces, and those brick stacks can be tied into the framing and run to a footing, structural work for a mason or general contractor after an engineer confirms what's load-bearing. River-valley fog and damp have often worn these chimneys too. A newer metal-chase firebox is the cleaner removal once the fuel's disconnected.
Capping the gas before demo
Any gas line gets shut off, disconnected, and capped, permitted with Buncombe County and pressure-tested, before demo. That's licensed work in North Carolina; a demo crew or handyman legally can't, and it's never DIY. Swannanoa is 15 minutes east of our showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Swannanoa
We install and service fireplaces throughout Swannanoa and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes east from our Asheville-area showroom.