How much does it cost to reface or update the look of an existing fireplace?
In Swannanoa, a lot of refacing is happening inside larger rebuilds and renovations after the storm — so the fireplace face is one decision within a bigger project. In a 1940s-60s Grovemont home that's the natural time to update the look and the hearth together. It's cosmetic work priced under replacement, and it folds neatly into a remodel.
Reface as part of the rebuild
Recovery from storm damage has Grovemont and the wider Swannanoa Village in a wave of renovation, and when walls are already open, refacing a fireplace is far simpler and cheaper than doing it in isolation later. Many of these 1940s-60s homes have original masonry fireboxes worth either restoring or reimagining in new stone, tile, or a fresh mantel. If the project is bigger — a new insert, a new surround, a whole rebuilt wall — sequencing it with the rest of the work means one finish, not two, and no cutting into new stone down the road.
Damp valley, sealed heat
River-valley fog, cold-air pooling, and damp air are hard on masonry chimneys here, so a reface is a good moment to add a stainless cap and a sealed gas insert that ignores the moisture and throws real heat. On the natural-gas mains that serve Swannanoa, we run and permit the line with Buncombe County and pressure-test it. And with battery-backup or millivolt ignition, that hearth keeps working when the grid goes down — something this valley understands firsthand. Swannanoa is 15 minutes east of our Emma Road showroom.
Match the hearth to the new interior
In a fresh renovation the fireplace sets the tone for the room, so it's worth choosing the surround alongside your new finishes rather than after them. Come see stone, tile, and mantels at 629 Emma Road, or have us bring the finalists to a free in-home consult and stage them against the new walls. 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
- How much does the finishing work — stone surround, mantel, tile — add to a fireplace project?
- How much does it cost to replace an old builder-grade prefab (zero-clearance) fireplace with a new unit?
- How much does it cost to swap an old gas insert for a new one?
- How much value does a fireplace add to a home?
- Will a gas insert lower my heating bills compared to my open fireplace?