How do I make a 1970s floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace look modern?

Two housing types, two remodels

Weaverville is really two markets. In the newer Reems Creek construction, the 'dated' fireplace is often a plain builder-grade box in a stone surround — there the fix is cosmetic: reface with large-format porcelain or take a single material floor-to-ceiling for a current, minimalist wall, and maybe swap in a linear gas unit for the flame.

Downtown's older homes are the classic problem: a big 1970s or earlier stone wall around an original masonry firebox that loses heat up the chimney. Those want a limewash or reface plus a sealed insert so the wall stops working against you.

Gas main, permit, and timing

Because natural gas runs along the Weaverville mains, extending a line to the firebox for a direct-vent or linear insert is a clean add rather than a propane project. That makes wood-to-gas one of the more satisfying upgrades here — flame at a switch and no cold-start smoke.

This north-facing valley warms up slowly in spring, so the practical move is to schedule the work before you are depending on it. We pull the Buncombe County permit, pressure-test the line, and meet the inspector — 15 minutes from our Asheville showroom.

The permit protects the resale

In a fast-growing area like Reems Creek, the permit is not red tape — it protects the home sale and the homeowner's insurance. Unpermitted gas or hearth work can surface at inspection and stall a closing, or quietly void coverage if something ever goes wrong. When we pull the Buncombe County permit and pass the inspection, that paperwork travels with the house as proof the work was done right. On a newer home you may resell, that record is worth having in the file. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.