What's the best way to convert a wood-burning fireplace to gas?
In Arden the best conversion is the one that stops the bleeding: the open masonry fireplaces in 1980s-and-90s Royal Pines and Skyland homes pull more warm air out of the house than they put in, and a sealed gas insert on Arden's natural gas turns that hole in the wall into a heater. Log sets remain the choice for looks — just not for heat.
From heat loss to heat source
Arden's housing stock makes the efficiency case better than any brochure. Skyland and Royal Pines were built in the era of the decorative open hearth; the insert era treats the fireplace as equipment. Those tired, drafty open fireplaces actively export furnace heat up the flue — an open masonry fireplace can run a net heat loss — while a sealed insert with a correctly sized liner commonly runs 70 percent efficient or better and pushes warmth into the room with a blower. On winter nights when cold air settles along the valley, that's the difference between a fireplace you admire and one you gather around. If ambiance is genuinely all you're after, a vented log set in a sound flue delivers the tall, wood-like flame honestly — most of its heat goes up the chimney, and we'll say so out loud before you choose it.
Gas at the street, showroom up the road
Arden rides the natural gas mains, so fuel is rarely the complication here — most conversions need only a modest line run from the meter, which is licensed work we permit with Buncombe County, pressure-test, and have inspected. Businesses around Biltmore Park add gas fireplaces for the same reasons homeowners do, and our crews are in this corridor weekly. Financing is available for qualified buyers on new installations. The showroom at 629 Emma Rd is 15 minutes north with inserts and log sets burning side by side — the fastest way to settle the heat-versus-looks question is to stand in front of both. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.