Can I sit near a burning fireplace in a showroom to test whether the smell bothers me before buying?
Yes — and with so much of Swannanoa rebuilding after the storm, a lot of neighbors are choosing a fresh fireplace and want to know exactly what it'll smell like first. That's what a showroom burn is for. You're only 15 minutes east of 629 Emma Rd. Call (828) 545-0525, tell us what you're weighing, and we'll have it lit.
Rebuilding, and calibrating on a healthy burn
Storm recovery has driven real demand for new fireplace and stove installs in rebuilt Swannanoa homes, and if your old unit took water, it's worth knowing that a flood-touched gas appliance can smell scorched or musty when relit — that's damage, and it needs a licensed inspection before it's trusted. Sitting in front of a sound, correctly running unit at the showroom gives you a clean baseline: this is what a healthy fireplace smells like, so you can tell the difference from whatever your damaged one was doing. Every gas connection we make in a rebuild is permitted with Buncombe County and pressure-tested.
Grovemont masonry and valley damp
The 1940s-to-'60s homes around Grovemont came with original masonry fireplaces, and the Swannanoa River valley's fog, cold-air pooling, and damp air are hard on that masonry — a damp flue often adds a musty note to the first fire that people blame on the appliance. A sealed direct-vent unit, or a properly lined insert, takes the chimney out of the equation. Swannanoa is on the natural-gas mains, so the unit we light burns your exact fuel. Come compare a vented set against a sealed one, side by side, and let your own senses settle it. Call (828) 545-0525 or drop by weekdays 8 to 5.
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.
Related questions
- Is there a good fireplace option for people with chemical or smell sensitivities?
- Is the smell from a brand-new gas fireplace normal, and how long does it last?
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- Why does my gas fireplace smell when it's running?