FIREPLACES
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Q: I was alarmed to see smoke enter the living room when I last used my fireplace. Why was my fireplace smoking and h...
At first, it may seem like a foolproof undertaking: You put some wood in the fireplace, light a match, then sit back ...
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a stand of oak, maple, or ash trees, you can harvest your own firewood, and ...
If you long for the glowing warmth of a crackling fire but installing a gas or wood-burning fireplace would be imprac...
Kicking back in front of a roaring fire is among the simplest, most satisfying pastimes during chilly weather. But th...
As days get shorter and the weather gets colder, we retreat indoors to the warmth of our homes and hearths. If you ha...
Some house problems are obvious from the get-go—for instance, you know you’re in trouble when raw sewage starts backing up in your basement shower. Other problems...
Few delights scream summer like sitting around a fire pit with friends and family. But before you light up a blaze, take some time to reacquaint yourself with the...
Homebuilders often install electrical and cable outlets over the fireplace mantle to allow homeowners to set up a fla...
A wood-burning fireplace adds both ambience and welcome heat during the winter months. But what to do with all the ashes those cozy fires leave behind? There are ...
Keep the cold out, the heat in, and your energy bill down with these cost-effective tips for winterizing your home.
Nothing is quite as warm and cozy as a crackling fire in autumn. But before you touch match to kindling, take a good look around your fireplace and chimney to mak...
Practical and eco-friendly, pellet stoves are the perfect solution to a variety of home heating challenges.
Of all the many species available, which types of firewood are the best to use at home?
Q: My wife and I just bought our first home, complete with wood-burning fireplace. We’re excited—but unsure exactly w...
Nothing feels quite as nice as the cozy glow of a warm fire on a blustery winter’s day. While wood-burning models are...
Q: We just bought a new 55-inch flat-screen TV, and I’d like to hang it over the fireplace in our family room. But my...
Fire pits are a hot commodity! These attractive additions can dress up a drab yard with mesmerizing flames while serv...
Thanks to modern heating technologies, homeowners today no longer have to rely on fire for heat. Our homes stay nice and warm, even on the coldest nights. Yet the...
Dust and dirt may go undetected on the lighter patina of stone fireplaces compared with brick, but your fireplace mus...
During the colder months, nothing beats warming the house with a crackling fire. But while wood-burning fireplaces sh...
There are more than 25,000 chimney fires incurring $125 million-plus in property damage every year in the United Stat...
It's the ultimate in backyard entertaining—an outdoor fireplace where friends and family gather to share good times a...
What's summer without s'mores? Even if your outdoor living space is limited to a small side yard, you can still enjoy...
The naturally distressed patina of brick adds to its desirability indoors and out, but too much dirt accumulation can...
A wood-burning stove or fireplace provides warmth and ambiance, but it also poses some risks. The most serious? Chimn...
You can repaint the walls, re-carpet the floor, and replace all outdated furniture, but leaving that eyesore of an ol...
Somehow, even if it's not operational, a fireplace is still imbues coziness in winter and architectural charm year-ro...
Seems like just yesterday that the red brick in your family room looked perfect, but tastes change with time. Now you...
From luxe fire pits to eco-friendly floating hearths, these 21 radiant fireplaces could set any home aglow with their warmth, comfort, and trailblazing style.
Curling up in front of a fire is a thoroughly delightful aspect of fall and winter. But fires can be a messy business...
While a toasty fire is a welcome addition to any chilly evening, wrestling with wet wood or crumpled-up newspapers to...
As temperatures dip, nothing feels better than thick fleece socks and a seat next to the fire. But, between uses, an ...
Plenty of us recall nestling around the cozy warmth of wood stoves, whiling away the winter-evening hours among famil...
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold winter's night than curling up in front of a crackling fire. But it takes f...
The fall season has been mild this year, but chilly temperatures are right around the corner, especially with the off...
Fireplace season has at long last arrived: Time to gather around the hearth, hunker down, and embrace the warmth of t...
Anyone who's paid winter home heating costs knows the feeling of sticker shock. Heating the home comes with a steep price tag—as much as 45% of the average househ...
Sometimes, even despite attentive maintenance and care, brick masonry fireplaces amass a fair amount soot, mildew, an...
If you love your fireplace and spending time in front of a cheery, crackling flame, you're no doubt familiar with pro...
It's not hard to understand the allure of ventless gas fireplaces. On the one hand, they offer heat and a cozy ambian...
Some homeowners are so drawn to the fireplace that they ignore the mess and hassle that accompany its operation and m...
Gas fireplaces have been showing up in more and more homes the past few years. They're clean, easy to use, and add a ...
With temperatures dropping, homeowners are resuming their seasonal quest to get the most heat for the least money. If...
Costs for heating your home with oil, natural gas, propane, and electricity seem to go in only one direction: up! Steadily increasing prices for fossil fuels are ...
When you're pulling your parkas and mittens from the back of the closet, it's also a good time to make sure your fire...
When the weather outside is frightful, there is nothing more comforting than curing up beside a fireplace with a good book or a good friend. This is why it is imp...
There's nothing as cozy and satisfying as relaxing in front of your fireplace on a long winter's night. But even when it's not lit, that fireplace takes up a lot ...
Jessica Bruno is a mom, daughter, and granddaughter—and the creative force behind the popular blog Four Generations O...
Cozying up to a roaring fire is a winter evening pastime that no one would reject. Disposing of fireplace ashes? Well...
A roaring fire makes for a lovely scene, but fireplaces are notorious energy-wasters. Most of the heat generated by a...
There’s nothing quite like sitting by a cozy fireplace on a chilly night. Unless you own your own private forest, tho...
Did you know that only about ten percent of the heat from a fire in the fireplace makes it into the room? That’s righ...
Everyone loves the imagery of chestnuts roasting on an open fire—but wait just a minute! An open fire may be great fo...
They're not just for living rooms anymore! With a well-situated fireplace, any room in the house can become warm and cozy.
If you like fireplaces but your home doesn't have one, a zero-clearance fireplace could be for you. It can be set o...
Is there anything better than sitting beside the fireplace on a chilly winter eve? Not only does a fireplace provide ...
Why would Kris Kringle choose to squeeze his considerable girth through one of the narrowest and most soot-covered pa...
You can lose a lot of heat through your chimney, even with the damper closed. Installing fireplace doors is a great ...
There are a host of reasons that homeowners choose to paint brick:• If a brick fireplace is out of sync with the deco...
As winter approaches, many homeowners are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to use their fireplaces and wood-burni...
Fireplaces are a nice feature in any home. Count Rumford fireplaces, known for their heat efficiency, are tall and s...
If a smokey, wood-burning hearth seems like a hassle, these sleek and clean electric fireplaces will warm you up—with no mess to bring you down.
A new set of fireplace tools brings both style and utility to your hearth. Here are a few guidelines that will help y...
Call it the PC-ification of the fireplace. A company called Bio-Blaze is selling a line of portable, vent-free firepl...
If you heat your house with wood, you know how expensive buying firewood can be. Cutting, splitting, and drying a cor...
While traditional open-hearth, wood-burning fireplaces are quickly going the way of the dinosaur, if you still want t...
Fireplace inserts are a great way to update an existing masonry fireplace. A traditional open-front wood-burning fire...
'Tis the season for hot chocolate and snuggles by the fire. Many newer homes have gone to gas fireplaces. They’re che...
The warmth of a wood stove appeals to many homeowners as much for its practicality (it can cut down on heating costs)...
We've rounded up the best fireplace accessories to poke, air, and shield flames while keeping your hearth looking great.
It’s not something you really want to acknowledge. You tell yourself it’s an optical illusion, or clutch to the conso...
While it’s hard to argue with the romance of a crackling fire on a chilly night, your fireplace might be costing you ...
Burning MoneyA fire in an open hearth is only 10 percent efficient at best, which means that 90 percent of the heat e...
Love the idea of a stone fireplace mantel but turned off by the high price? Eldorado Stone—one of the leading manufac...
Fireplaces have always been among the top amenities for homeowners looking to buy a new house. In fact, they rank jus...
Consider these gas fireplaces for warmth and energy savings, certainly, but also for their red-hot style.
It’s January and, while some of the country is buried in snow, people in more moderate climates are still enjoying th...
Nothing celebrates the colder weather like the distinct scent and sound of a crackling log in the fireplace. A steady...
The walls in the new addition are just about ready for paint. The new fireplace, trimmed with fieldstone, will make this new in-law suite very cozy. Interior door...
Bob talks with Robert Rainey of PJ Overhead Door as the new and improved garage door panels and tracks are installed on the Norwell home.
Bob meets with Ed and Lisa Zywusko, a husband-and-wife masonry team, and sees how they are going to refurbish the old brick chimney.
The house's two chimneys are repaired, allowing the installation of a gas fireplace insert, and basement family-room cabinets are completed.
Jack Murdock from RMI and Craig Ryans from Vermont Castings demonstrate how simple it is to have gas appliances and heat in a rural location.
The crew from The Ironhouse hooks up with Dan DeMagistris of Heat-N-Glo to install the fireplace.
Bob returns to Winterthur, the historic du Pont estate, to tour the Tappahannock Room.
Bob tours one of Winterthur's most ornate rooms, the Blackwell Parlor.
Bob and Chris Vila join Andy Grover of Hallsted Welles Associates for the installation of a new, flexible, stainless-steel chimney liner.
Bob talks with general contractor Ted Riley about the fireplace construction.
Masons are building the Rumford fireplace, as Bob talks over the herringbone construction process being used.
Masons install the throat and flue for the Rumford fireplace in the Lifespan House.
Bob explores the practice of custom lamp making and learns more about the outdoor fireplace.
Carpenter Bob Ryley and Greg Cowan (from Tidewater Restoration) discuss the process of restoring the antique mantelpiece.
Bob returns to the Virginia governor's mansion to see the restored mantelpiece reinstalled in the ballroom.
The first Elmwood project concerns remodeling a Gothic Carpenter-style home, built in 1871.
Joe Murphy installs a direct vent gas-driven fireplace, and Howard Brickman refinishes the hardwood floor.
Pat and Roger Simons, the owners of the second house in the Elmwood project, review the goals of their bathroom remodel.
Bob watches as the mason lays a new hearth in the old fireplace using salvaged Charleston brick.
Bob joins restoration contractor Richard Marks in the library of the Federal-Style home to review the restoration of the mantel.
As the mason builds a Count Rumford fireplace, he describes the foundation built to support the hearth and the variety of bricks used throughout the fireplace.
The search for Bob's next project house ends, when he finds a small 19th-century home on a large plot of land in East Chop, a laid-back, picturesque part of the i...
Bob and contractor John Clancy discuss creating the new concrete chimney at the Victorian-style project house in Martha's Vineyard.
Bob tours the Vermont Castings factory in Randolph, VT in order to learn about the manufacturing process for the type of wood-burning stove being used in the Mart...
Carpenter-contractor Bob Ryley dresses up the fireplace to give it a Colonial look.
Fireplace dealer Kris Renier installs a new zero-clearance fireplace and explains how it operates.
