Dear EarthTalk: It is starting to get colder and I’m eager to try out the fireplace in our new home, but we don't want to create health or environmental problems. Are there materials that would be ...

If you have a wood stove or a fireplace for back-up heat, or as your main heat source, you’ve probably already thought to tune it up for winter. But cleaning your chimney and hearth and using ...

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 ...