Rumford fireplaces are tall and shallow to reflect more heat, and they have streamlined throats to eliminate turbulence and carry away the smoke with little loss of heated room air. Rumford fireplaces are generally appreciated for their tall classic elegance and their heating efficiency. Much more about Rumford fireplaces is on line at http://www.rumford.com Here, with this Blog, however, we hope to encourage a dialog about some of the persistent issues presented by emerging regulations about wood smoke emissions and efficiency. We can also, of course, discuss more down to earth topics like how to fix a smoking fireplace or why use refractory mortar. I will suggest topics from time to time but feel free to discuss what's on your mind - about fireplaces and masonry chimneys, of course. Well maybe masonry ovens and other related topics too. Here are some suggestions: 1) Can open fireplaces be "green"? 2) Are glass doors and combustion air good ideas? 3) How does a Rumford compare with a masonry heater or a metal stove?