How much does firewood cost per cord, and how many cords do you burn in a winter?
Swannanoa learned the hard way why a working hearth matters, and wood is the most self-reliant heat there is, with no grid and no tank to depend on. As the valley rebuilds, we're installing plenty of new stoves and inserts. On cost, price seasoned hardwood by the full cord, and expect one to two cords for evening fires, three or more if wood is your main winter heat.
Rebuilds are adding real heat
Recovery from the recent storm damage has driven a wave of new fireplace and stove installs in rebuilt Grovemont-area homes, many of which had original 1940s-to-60s masonry fireboxes that never heated well to begin with. If you're already opening up walls, adding a sealed wood stove or insert is far easier now than as a retrofit later, and it's heat that keeps working when the power doesn't. That outage-proof quality is exactly what has this community rethinking its fireplaces.
River-valley damp slows the pile
Swannanoa's fog, cold-air pooling, and damp river-valley air are hard on masonry chimneys and keep a woodpile from drying quickly, so seasoning discipline matters more here than in a drier town. Buy in spring, stack it raised off the ground with the top covered, and have any older flue checked before you lean on it, because a damp chimney drafts poorly no matter how good the wood is.
One accountable company
Rather than stitching a job across a showroom and a mason, we handle the appliance, venting, permit, and inspection under one license. We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, 15 minutes east of the Emma Road 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
- Is heating with wood actually cheaper than gas?
- How much does it cost to heat a home with a wood stove for a whole winter?
- What does a wood-burning fireplace cost per year in upkeep?
- How long does it take a wood stove to pay for itself?
- Does using an open wood-burning fireplace actually increase my heating bill?