When the weather turns cold and wet, our homes are a warm respite—and where we spend so much of our time during the chilliest months of the year. If your house has a fireplace, even better. The ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Kristin is a lead editor at Forbes Home and has nearly a decade of ...

Q:I have a beautiful stone fireplace that's made of petrified wood. The house was built in the 1970s, and I'm the fourth owner. Over the years, dust and smoke have settled into the crevices of the ...