Will a gas insert seal off the drafts and old smoke odors coming from my open fireplace chimney?
Yes, and in Marshall the seal solves a draft problem the terrain makes worse. Homes here cling to steep hillsides, and the narrow downtown buildings press right against the mountainside, so tight lots and gorge winds leave open flues fighting downdrafts. A gas insert caps that flue behind a liner and surround panel, stops the draft, and clears the old smoke smell.
Terrain that fights your chimney
Marshall's steep hillside homes and multi-story downtown buildings built against the mountain sit in the French Broad gorge, where cool, damp evenings and tight lots complicate chimney routing and draft. An open flue on a wind-buffeted mountainside doesn't just leak heat — it backdrafts, pushing cold air and the creosote-stale smoke smell down into the room when the wind swirls. The lower elevation here won't spare you the wind — the gorge funnels it. Sealing the flue takes the terrain out of the equation.
A sealed, direct-vented answer
A [gas insert](/services/gas-insert-installation) closes the open masonry firebox with a stainless liner up the chimney and a surround panel across the face, so combustion is fully sealed and direct-vented — the swirling gorge winds can't reach it, the draft stops for good, not just on calm days, and the smoke odor goes. Where the open fireplace ran a net heat loss, the sealed insert commonly runs 70% efficient or better. We [inspect and size the liner](/services/fireplace-inspection) for the specific flue.
Access, permits, and the trip up
Limited hillside access is real in Marshall, so we plan the logistics before we arrive. Running the gas line is licensed work — mixed fuel here, natural gas in spots and propane on the outskirts — and we pull the Madison County permit, pressure-test the line, and meet the inspector either way. We're 25 minutes north of our Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free in-home assessment.
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
- Does replacing an open wood fireplace with an insert improve the air in my house?
- Can an unused fireplace or chimney cause moisture and mold problems in the house?
- Why do I smell smoke in my house when the fireplace isn't even burning?
- Does a direct vent gas fireplace use the air in my room for combustion?
- Do gas fireplace inserts burn cleaner than gas log sets?