Can I use a reclaimed barn beam as a fireplace mantel?
Absolutely — in Asheville a reclaimed barn beam suits both sides of our housing: a century-old masonry opening in Montford or North Asheville, and a clean-face gas unit in a newer South Asheville build. The beam has to be sound and dry, and it has to sit at the appliance's required clearance. Our showroom's right here on Emma Rd to compare timber in person.
Two Asheville rooms, one beam
In Montford and North Asheville, original masonry fireplaces already carry old-house character, and a rough-hewn reclaimed timber looks like it was always there. Across town in the newer South Asheville builds, clean-face gas fireboxes read a little minimal on their own — a weathered beam adds the warmth and history the sealed box can't.
Natural-gas mains run much of the city, so most of what we anchor a beam over here is a sealed gas unit rather than an open wood hearth.
The old-wood details that matter locally
The best reclaimed timber around Asheville is regional — oak, chestnut, and heart pine pulled from old WNC barns and mills, each carrying saw marks and worn edges no stain imitates. Before any of it goes up, we clear embedded nails and hardware and treat for wood-boring insects.
Our elevation keeps nights in the 20s into early spring, so a heated interior and the outdoor cold swing the beam's moisture hard — we acclimate the timber first so a wet-in-the-middle piece doesn't check once the room warms up.
Clearance changes with the box
A beam over an old open masonry firebox in Montford follows a different clearance than one over a sealed South Asheville gas unit — hotter, older fireplaces push a combustible timber higher above the opening. We work from the manufacturer's mantel chart, or code clearance for a masonry opening. Visit the Emma Rd showroom to see reclaimed options, or call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.