Many new materials and techniques
have been designed to cut energy losses
in residential construction. They help
the builder and architect in almost
every aspect of energy-efficient house
construction from the foundation on
up.
One area that product designers have
overlooked, though, is the chimney. At
this time, there are few techniques and
materials specifically designed to block
heat loss where a chimney breaks
through the building shell.
From my perspective as a fireplaceproduct
designer, I see no easy solutions
short of new-product development
and, possibly, code changes. On the
one hand, we must remove heat from
around the chimney to maintain safe
temperatures on adjacent combustible
materials. On the other, we want to
reduce heat loss from the living space.
Each