What size gas insert will fit my existing fireplace?
In Marshall the fit starts with access: homes cling to steep hillsides and the downtown is built tight against the mountainside, so we plan how a measure and install reach the firebox. The insert itself fits when its body clears the four interior measurements with clearances, and the French Broad gorge's draft is part of the calculation.
Tight lots, careful routing
Marshall's steep hillside homes and narrow multi-story downtown buildings often have limited access, which complicates chimney routing and how we get an insert to the firebox in one piece. That's a logistics question we work out up front. The measuring itself is the same discipline everywhere: front width, rear width, height, and depth, taken cold, with the smallest governing the model that can seat with clearances.
Draft in the gorge
The French Broad gorge brings cool, damp evenings and can make an open masonry fireplace draft poorly, with cold air sitting in the flue like a plug. A sealed insert sidesteps that — it doesn't rely on the room's draft the way an open firebox does — and it runs efficient once it's in. Fuel is mixed in Madison County, so we confirm natural gas or propane and set a propane unit's orifice correctly.
Permitted through Madison County
Connecting or extending the gas line is licensed work — a mason or handyman legally can't touch fuel in North Carolina — so we permit through Madison County and pressure-test the line before we leave. We're 25 minutes north of the Emma Road showroom, an easy trip for a free in-home measure or for you to see the inserts on display. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Marshall
We install and service fireplaces throughout Marshall and the rest of Madison County — just 25 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- What are the minimum firebox dimensions for a gas insert — will one fit a small fireplace?
- Can a gas insert go into a shallow firebox?
- How do I measure my fireplace for a gas insert?
- How much smaller than my fireplace opening will an insert's viewing window be?
- What is the surround or flashing panel on an insert and how is it sized?