Does living at high mountain elevation change whether gas or wood is the better fireplace choice?
In Swannanoa the fireplace conversation is wrapped up in rebuilding. Storm damage sent many homeowners into renovations, and a rebuild is the ideal moment to choose heat that works when the grid doesn't. At 2,150 feet on the natural-gas main both fuels perform — the question is really which backup-heat setup you want built into the new walls.
Rebuilding is the time to get it right
The Grovemont-area homes and the houses coming back after the storm are open to the studs, which is the cheapest, cleanest moment to install the fireplace you actually want — venting, gas line, and all — instead of retrofitting later. A lot of that original 1940s-to-'60s masonry was inefficient to begin with, so folks are choosing sealed gas or a wood-burning unit that heats the room instead of the flue. It's a rare chance to fix the hearth for good while the walls are open.
Heat that outlasts the outage
The storm taught the valley how long the power can stay out, and the homes that stayed warm had a working hearth. On natural gas you can build that in cleanly: a Napoleon with battery-backup ignition or a millivolt Valor H5 keeps gas heat available with the grid down, and a Regency Grandview G600C wood fireplace needs no electricity at all. River-valley fog and damp here are hard on old masonry chimneys, so a sealed unit and fresh liner also age better.
On the main, done by the book
Swannanoa is natural-gas, so no propane orifice work — but the connection is licensed. We pull the Buncombe County permit, pressure-test, and meet the inspector, which also protects insurance on a rebuilt home. Rebuilding neighbors have leaned on us for exactly this, and we'll spec your backup heat as one accountable job. It's about 15 minutes east of our Asheville 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.
Related questions
- Gas, wood, or electric — which fireplace makes the most sense for a mountain cabin or second home that sits empty part of the year?
- Which fireplace still works during a power outage — gas, wood, or electric?
- What's the difference between a natural gas and a propane fireplace?
- Does propane burn hotter than natural gas in a fireplace?
- Which heats a room better, a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace?