John Bristol’s 4,500-square-foot, four-level colonial in Chevy Chase, Md., would have been pricey to heat even without air leaks but the two rooms with wood-burning fireplaces were always cold in ...

Dear Jim: We love to use our brick fireplace in the living room, but it makes the rest of the house cold. Our heating bills are already too high. What simple things can I do to make the fireplace more ...

Anyone worth his fireplace poker knows to close the fireplace damper once the embers cool. Otherwise, warm air escapes up the chimney and cool air slides in. But did you know that dampers often warp ...

DEAR JIM: I know most fireplaces waste energy, but we love to sit in front of a raging fire. Are there any simple, low-cost things we can do to make it produce heat and to reduce the smoky smell in ...

The biggest emission sources for people in our area, besides those from general consumption, are: transportation (car and plane), food (diet and waste), and heating (space and water). One thing I ...