What are the best gas logs for an existing wood-burning fireplace?
Real Fyre's Charred American Oak vented set — hand-painted logs cast from real oak, with the tall yellow flame that comes closest to a real wood fire. One honest caveat: vented logs are ambiance-first, and most of their heat goes up the open chimney. If you want that firebox to actually heat the room, a sealed gas insert is the better conversion.
Our pick, and what it is — and isn't
For a straight log-set conversion, the Real Fyre Charred American Oak 24-inch vented set is the best we sell. The logs are cast from real oak and hand-painted, the burner throws a tall, realistic yellow flame, and rated up to 90,000 BTU it fills a masonry firebox with genuine presence. But we'll tell you at the counter what the brochure won't: vented gas logs run with the damper open, so most of that heat goes up the chimney. They're decorative-first — the closest gas gets to a real wood fire, minus the hauling, the cold-start smoke, and the sweeping. Flame at the flip of a switch, honestly described.
Want heat instead? That's an insert conversation
Wood-to-gas conversion has two paths. The log set is the lower-cost, simpler route for people who want the look. A sealed gas insert — like Napoleon's Oakville X4 or Kozy Heat's Chaska 25L — is the route for people who want the fireplace to work for a living: sealed combustion, a properly lined flue, real efficiency, and with the right ignition, heat that keeps running when the power doesn't. Around here, that last part carries weight — Helene made "power-optional" a feature people ask for by name. Our [conversion guide](/guides/convert-wood-fireplace-to-gas) lays out both paths side by side.
The licensed line that makes it burn
Either path needs gas at the firebox, and in North Carolina that's licensed work — a showroom can sell you beautiful logs, but they legally can't connect them to fuel. We can. We run the line, pull the county permit, and pressure-test before first light-off. We also match the set to your fuel: natural gas along the Asheville and Hendersonville mains, propane out in Fairview, Candler, Brevard, and the cabins — and propane's different orifices and pressures are exactly why wrong-fuel setups soot. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment of your firebox.
Answers for your town
Related questions
- What is the best brand of gas logs?
- Which vented gas logs look the most realistic?
- Which gas log style looks the most realistic — oak, birch, or driftwood?
- What's the best way to convert a wood-burning fireplace to gas?
- What's the best ignition option for a gas log set — match light, millivolt, or electronic?
- What is the best gas fireplace brand?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
Free assessments across Western North Carolina — no pressure, straight answers.