How much does it cost to reface or update the look of an existing fireplace?
In Waynesville, refacing runs the usual spread — tile and a new mantel at the low end, full stacked stone at the top — but at nearly 2,650 feet we rarely stop at looks. Older Hazelwood fireboxes are drafty and open, so a makeover here is the natural moment to turn a heat-loser into a real heater. Cosmetic work, priced under replacement.
A cold town asks more of a hearth
Waynesville runs 10 to 15 degrees colder than the lower WNC valleys, and its heating season stretches about three weeks longer than Asheville's — so the fireplace here isn't decoration, it's working equipment. Many older Hazelwood and downtown homes lean hard on open masonry fireboxes that pull warm room air straight up the chimney all night. When those get refaced, we almost always talk about dropping in a sealed insert at the same time: a Kozy Heat or Napoleon unit that actually throws heat instead of stealing it. Do the insert first, finish the new stone around it once, and you get the look and a genuine upgrade in the same project.
Backup heat you'll be glad to own
Cold this deep and this long makes power-optional heat more than a nice-to-have. A gas insert with battery-backup or millivolt ignition keeps throwing warmth when the grid drops — the difference so many WNC homes learned the hard way after Helene. On the propane properties common up here, we set the regulator and orifices for LP and pressure-test the line under a Haywood County permit; on the mixed-fuel side of town, natural gas works the same. Running or connecting the fuel is licensed work a mason legally can't do, so appliance, line, and finish come from one accountable crew.
Book the look before the cold
Waynesville's heating season starts early and runs long, so choose materials before you're depending on the fireplace. See stone and mantels at 629 Emma Road, 35 minutes east, or we'll bring the finalists to a free in-home look and match them to your room. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Waynesville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Waynesville and the rest of Haywood County — just 35 minutes west 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?