What are the best gas logs for an existing wood-burning fireplace?
In Asheville, the Real Fyre Charred American Oak 24-inch vented set is the one we put in most Montford and North Asheville masonry fireboxes — hand-painted logs cast from real oak, running on the natural gas most city streets already have. It's ambiance-first, though; if you want real heat from that firebox, ask us about a sealed insert instead.
Montford's fireboxes were built for this
Asheville's older neighborhoods — Montford, North Asheville, stretches of West Asheville — are full of original masonry fireplaces that were built to burn cordwood and mostly still could. That is precisely the firebox a vented log set was designed for. The Charred American Oak set sits in the hearth you already have, vents up the chimney you already own, and gives you a fire that reads as real from across the room — cast from actual oak, painted by hand. The tradeoff never changes, though: the damper stays open, so the warmth mostly rides up the flue. With city nights holding in the 20s into early spring, treat it as atmosphere with a side of warmth, not the heating plan.
The shortest showroom trip in Western North Carolina
We're headquartered at 629 Emma Rd, which makes Asheville the one town where seeing the logs before you commit is a ten-minute errand. Bring the width, height, and depth of your firebox opening — a set sized wrong in either direction spoils the illusion, and bigger isn't better. One wrinkle worth knowing: newer South Asheville construction often carries a factory-built firebox rather than true masonry, and what's allowed inside one is set by its listing, not by what fits. We'll tell you which you own before anyone talks product.
City gas, Buncombe paperwork
Most of the city runs on natural-gas mains, so fuel is rarely the complication here — the connection is. In North Carolina, running or extending gas piping is licensed work; a furniture showroom can sell you gorgeous logs but can't lawfully hook them to fuel. We run the line, pull the Buncombe County permit, pressure-test it, and meet the inspector — permitted work that protects your homeowner's insurance and your eventual sale. And if what you really want is heat out of that old Montford hearth, say so: a sealed insert is the better tool, and we'll tell you straight. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.
Related questions
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- Which vented gas logs look the most realistic?
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- What's the best ignition option for a gas log set — match light, millivolt, or electronic?