Wood-burning insert vs gas insert — which should I choose?
In Asheville, either insert works because you're sitting on the natural-gas mains — so let the house decide: a wood insert for a Montford place with a real chimney and someone who enjoys the ritual, a gas insert for a South Asheville room where flip-a-switch heat matters more than splitting logs. Both turn a drafty open firebox into a sealed heater.
Two Ashevilles, two answers
There's an old Asheville and a new one, and they lean different ways. Up in Montford, North Asheville, and around Grove Park, the housing stock is original masonry — big open fireboxes built for looks, not heat, that quietly send your furnace's warm air up the flue. A wood insert reclaims that opening as a serious heater and rewards anyone who likes the ritual of a fire. Newer South Asheville and West Asheville construction is a cleaner fit for a gas insert: less chimney to work with, tighter rooms, owners who want heat without the woodpile. We fit the appliance to the house, not the other way around.
Fuel is the easy part here
Being on the Asheville mains takes the hardest question off the table — running natural gas to a new insert is straightforward, but it's still licensed work. A showroom can sell you a firebox; in North Carolina only a licensed gas contractor can connect it to fuel. We run the line, pull the Buncombe County permit, and pressure-test before the first flame. A wood insert skips the gas line but still needs a correctly sized stainless liner, same as gas — that part is non-negotiable either way.
Come watch both burn
You don't have to guess. Our showroom is at 629 Emma Rd, right here in town, with gas and wood inserts lit side by side so you can feel the difference before you decide. Bring photos of your fireplace and we'll tell you honestly which way your room wants to go. 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.
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