The leaves are turning in upstate New York and we are looking forward to cozy evenings in front of the fire.  If you are still burning in a traditional masonry fireplace you should have a glass door installed to prevent a massive movement of house air up the chimney with the draft of the fire.  A glass door will also prevent sparks from flying out of the opening and provide a safety barrier when you want to go to bed with hot coals remaining in the fire box.  Cricket on the Hearth, Inc. sells beautiful glass doors with aluminum, steel and brass frames for your selection.  Doors can be customized with frame color, handle selection, glass color and screen options for curtain or gated mesh.

Glass doors generally fit on the face of the fireplace with the frame overlapping the edge of the opening at the top and sides.  When measuring for a glass door you need the height of the opening and the width from side to side.  If there is a damper mechanism on the face of the fireplace,  make note of the distance between the opening and the mechanism.

Glass fireplace doors are the minimum safety mechanism for safe burning and efficiency.  The next step would be to gain total control of the burn and air flow with a wood burning insert. An insert would be able to gather heat from the fire with a blower system circulating air around the outside of the firebox to bring heat back into the room.