Cozy season has arrived, but is your fireplace ready? The materials used for mantels haven't changed drastically over the years—brick, stone, wood, and tile, are still classics—but the style you ...

The fireplace is often the most commanding element in any room it’s in. Size and abundance of material are often factors, but as renovation specialist Ron Parko points out, our eyes are naturally ...

Q: My fireplace has me in a quandary. I'm putting in crown molding and painting. My fireplace is used brick, 8 feet by 5 feet 5 inches deep with a hearth 50 inches wide and 4 inches high. I don't know ...

A ban on putting wood burning fireplaces in new homes and buildings under construction in the Bay Area went into effect this month, along with the start of the new winter Spare the Air season. Wood ...

Q: For several years, we have not been able to enjoy a cheery fire on a cold day. About eight years ago, we enclosed our back porch and made it into a TV room. What used to be the outside of the ...