I was reading that I could save more on my bills by covering my fireplace. I hadn't considered it before since we tend to use it in the winter. I'm thinking maybe just covering it with a blanket when it's not in use.

i remember seeing something a few years ago about making and insulated cover for your fireplace. i can't remember everything, but i think they used that solid insulation board stuff cut to fit the opening of the fireplace. to make it look pretty they painted a peice of plywood or mdf and attached teh insulation board to the back. it just sat in place in the opening. they had handles on the top or side to pull it out when the fireplace was going to be used. you have to wait for the fireplace to cool down before putting it back in though.

Glass doors work on the same principal - we have been putting doors on our fire places. Bruce will take a lit cigarette and hold it by the fireplace or window or door and if the smoke pulls toward it we have a heat draw and then we take measures - this is how we figured out about putting doors on the fireplaces - the last house had four fireplaces!! It was like living in a screen house til we put the doors on them.

We have glass doors.....otherwise we don't cover it.