How do I update a dated 1980s brass-and-oak fireplace?
In Flat Rock, that 1980s brass-and-oak fireplace is frequently the newest thing about a much older house — many homes here date to the 1800s, with oversized open masonry fireplaces and aging clay flue liners. Updating the brass and oak is easy; the real opportunity is modernizing the drafty historic box without erasing its character.
Respect the old house while updating it
Historic Flat Rock homes carry generations of character, so the cosmetic moves want restraint: matte-black paint or a low-profile door over the brass, and a soft repaint or careful restain of the oak rather than a jarring reface. The goal is to lose the 1980s tell without flattening what makes the room historic.
The draft is the bigger problem
Those oversized open masonry fireplaces pull cold air down into the room, and the aging clay flue liners behind them are often cracked. A sealed direct-vent gas insert set into the existing opening fixes the draftiness and gives you controllable heat while preserving the original mantel and hearth surround — the character stays, the cold draft goes.
On the mains, permitted with Henderson
Flat Rock is served by natural gas, so the conversion is clean, but the line is licensed work — we permit it with Henderson County and meet the inspector, which matters for insuring an older home. We're 30 minutes south; call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home estimate.
Fireplace help in Flat Rock
We install and service fireplaces throughout Flat Rock and the rest of Henderson County — just 30 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
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