Chimneys and Fireplaces
In the old days, the house was built around one or more chimneys. The fireplace was the center of the house. Today, chimneys are typically built on the outside of an exterior wall, as shown in the picture below.
Try to convince your builder that it is a better idea to integrate the chimney into the center of the house, so that the brick structure can store and radiate heat overnight. The net energy gain from using a fireplace is questionable to begin with, though. Dr. Heet does not have data that supports claims that the loss of warm air mass through the chimney is greater than the heat the fireplace produces. This may not be entirely true, but the volume of air that escapes through the chimney when a fire is burning is staggering.
