Can you put stone veneer over a brick fireplace?
Yes — and Clyde's 1960s-to-'80s ranch fireplaces are exactly the kind of dated brick that stone veneer transforms. The brick is non-combustible and load-bearing, so thin stone bonds right over it. These fireboxes are also ripe for an insert upgrade, which makes the reface the perfect time to modernize both the look and the heat at once.
Ranch-era brick, ready for more
A lot of Clyde was built out in the ranch-and-split-level era, and those 1960s-to-'80s fireplaces tend to share a look — a broad, plain brick front that feels every bit its age. Stone veneer is the straightforward cure, riding over the existing brick with no demolition. Because these fireboxes are also good candidates for an insert, we treat the reface as one job: cover the brick in stacked stone and set a sealed insert into the opening, so you're not paying to open the wall twice.
River humidity works on the metal
Clyde shares the cold-air drainage of Canton and Waynesville, and the Pigeon valley's river humidity rusts dampers and degrades masonry chimneys earlier than you'd expect. Before we cover brick with stone, we check the damper, the firebox, and the flue — a reface shouldn't hide a rusting problem behind fresh veneer. Clyde is mixed-fuel, natural gas in spots and propane elsewhere, and either can feed a sealed insert. That gas work is licensed; we pull the Haywood County permit and meet the inspector. Call (828) 545-0525.
Prep and clearances
Sound, clean brick takes a scratch coat directly; painted or sealed faces need lath first so the mortar bonds. And however you lay the stone across the brick field, the firebox's listed clearance at the opening sets the boundary. About 25 minutes west of our Asheville showroom, with the appliance, venting, and stone on one ticket.
Fireplace help in Clyde
We install and service fireplaces throughout Clyde and the rest of Haywood County — just 25 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.