How can I update my fireplace without completely replacing it?
In Brevard, before you reface anything, the update starts with the chimney — 80-plus inches of rain a year cracks crowns, spalls brick, and rusts dampers, so we check the structure first. From there we reface, re-mantel, swap doors, or drop in a propane or electric insert. The assessment is free.
Rain writes the rules here
Brevard gets more weather than almost anywhere we serve — better than 80 inches of rain a year, with a wet stretch from March into June that finds every weakness in a chimney. Crowns crack, brick faces spall and flake, dampers rust, and the crawl spaces and chimney chases common on downtown homes and Pisgah Forest cabins stay damp. That changes the update conversation: painting or whitewashing brick that's actively spalling just hides a problem, so we look at the masonry and flue before we talk cosmetics. The gated homes in Connestee Falls and Sherwood Forest face the same moisture load. Often the smart move is a sealed insert, which closes off the open firebox and stops conditioned air — and weather — from moving through it.
Propane country and the licensed line
Out here you're mostly on [propane](/guides/natural-gas-vs-propane-in-wnc) rather than a gas main, and propane behaves differently — it burns hotter per unit and needs its own orifices and pressures, which is exactly why wrong-fuel setups soot up a firebox. A propane-ready insert like the Kozy Heat Springfield is built for this kind of cabin country, and for the timber-frame and mountain-modern homes around Brevard a Mendota gives you the most convincing wood-fire look we sell. Connecting that propane system is licensed work — regulator, piping, and appliance setup — and we permit it through Transylvania County and meet the inspector, with the tank itself coordinated through your propane supplier. Since many Brevard fireplaces sit idle between visits, an annual check keeps them lighting on the first try. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.