How do I choose a fireplace design when building a new home?
Building in Candler, learn from the neighbors — the fast-growing subdivisions here got basic decorative builder-grade fireboxes, and owners want real heat-producing units within a few years. Design yours as a genuine sealed heater from day one. Fuel is mixed locally: gas reaches the newer Enka-Candler developments, while out toward Pisgah Highway many homes run propane. Confirm yours before choosing.
Build the heater, not the decorative box
The subdivisions filling in around Enka-Candler mostly got builder-grade fireboxes meant to look nice, not to heat — which is why so many owners come back within a few years wanting a real upgrade. On a new build you can skip that step: spec a sealed direct-vent gas unit that genuinely heats the room from the start. A Heatilator Novus nXt 36 is a solid, value-minded choice; step up to a Napoleon or Heat & Glo front if you want more presence.
Fuel and the Hominy Valley air
Fuel here is mixed — the newer Enka-Candler developments can reach the natural-gas main, while more rural stretches out Pisgah Highway run on propane, so confirm your site before choosing the appliance and its orifices. The Hominy Valley sits in a natural bowl that can trap air, which is a real point in favor of a clean-burning sealed unit over an open, smoky hearth. On propane we set the tank and piping; on gas we tap the main.
Buncombe permit, one accountable team
Fifteen minutes west of our Asheville showroom, a Candler build should run through one licensed company — appliance, venting, gas or propane line, Buncombe County permit, and inspection. Connecting the fuel is licensed work a showroom or handyman legally can't do. Come see the sealed units on Emma Road, get a free design consultation, and call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Candler
We install and service fireplaces throughout Candler and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.