What are my options for converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas — logs vs insert vs new fireplace?
Flat Rock's historic homes, some dating to the 1800s with oversized open masonry fireplaces and aging clay flue liners, usually point toward a sealed insert, which fixes the draftiness while preserving the character. Vented gas logs are the ambiance-only alternative, and a new built-in the full remodel. Flat Rock is on the natural-gas main.
Preserving an 1800s hearth
An oversized open masonry fireplace in a historic Flat Rock home looks the part but pulls cold-air drafts into the room and can run a net heat loss all winter. A sealed insert slides inside the original opening with its own liner, so the mantel and stonework stay exactly as they are while the fireplace finally produces heat, commonly 70 percent efficient or better. It's the conversion that respects the house. In Historic Flat Rock and around Highland Lake, keeping the original mantel and stonework untouched is often the whole point, and the insert does exactly that.
The aging-clay-liner catch
Many of these homes have clay flue liners well past their prime, which is a real consideration for a vented gas log set, since logs depend on a sound, open chimney to carry exhaust. The insert path sidesteps it by bringing a stainless liner sized to the appliance; a new direct-vent built-in skips the chimney altogether. If the fireplace wall is part of a larger renovation, that clean slate, a Heatilator Novus nXt 36 say, is on the table. An aging clay liner is a common finding in these 1800s homes, and it's the single detail that most often steers an owner away from a log set.
Licensed gas, permitted through Henderson County
Extending the natural-gas line is licensed work in North Carolina; a mason restoring the stonework legally can't connect the fuel. We do, pulling the Henderson County permit and pressure-testing the line before the inspector signs off, which protects the home's value and your insurance. We're about 30 minutes south of our Asheville showroom. Free in-home assessment: (828) 545-0525.
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.
Related questions
- Should I install gas logs or keep burning real wood in my fireplace?
- What's the difference between a gas fireplace insert and gas logs?
- Which heats better, a gas insert or gas logs?
- Wood-to-gas vs wood-to-electric conversion — which is better for my fireplace?
- Which is the bigger installation job — gas logs, a gas insert, or a full fireplace replacement?