What's the best way to convert a wood-burning fireplace to gas?
In Asheville, the best conversion depends on which Asheville you live in. Montford and North Asheville's original masonry fireboxes take a sealed gas insert and new liner beautifully; newer South Asheville homes often want a simpler vented log set. Natural gas mains serve much of the city, and both options sit burning side by side at our showroom on Emma Rd.
Old masonry, modern manners
Montford and North Asheville are full of fireplaces that predate anyone alive — handsome masonry boxes that were built to burn wood and lose heat doing it. An insert conversion respects that architecture: the sealed unit sits inside the original opening, a correctly sized stainless liner runs up the existing chimney, and the mantel and brick you bought the house for stay exactly where they are. The efficiency swing is dramatic — open masonry fireplaces can actually run a net heat loss, while modern inserts commonly run 70 percent efficient or better. On Asheville nights that hold in the 20s into early spring, that difference shows up in the rooms you sit in.
The gas-main advantage
Much of Asheville sits on natural gas mains, which makes the fuel side of a conversion refreshingly simple — no tank to site, no delivery schedule, usually a short line run from the meter to the firebox. That line is still licensed work in North Carolina, and it's the part no showroom or mason can legally touch. We run it, pull the Buncombe County permit, pressure-test it, and meet the inspector. If your street is one of the exceptions without gas service, we set up propane instead — the appliance choices barely change.
Decide with your eyes, not a brochure
The log-set-versus-insert call is easier standing in front of both. Our showroom at 629 Emma Rd keeps vented log sets and sealed inserts burning, so you can see the taller, loose flame of a Real Fyre set next to the working heat of a Napoleon or Kozy Heat insert and know which one you're actually after. Start with a free in-home assessment — we'll check the chimney first, because the flue's condition shapes the answer — or call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.