<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=iso-8859-1"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi everyone,<div><br><div>I have mostly been lurking on the list, I am a green interior designer, so don't always come across issues of building science. Now I do have a question I think the combined wisdom of this list could help me with.</div><div><br></div><div>In my region, most municipalities ban wood fireplaces in new construction. I usually recommend that folks that have an existing convert to a good quality gas insert, they burn cleaner and give the hearth feeling in the winter. In our climate (SF bay area) we are very temperate, and don't need heating. I live on the San Francisco Peninsula, which is very population dense, and does have air pollution issues on occasion. </div><div><br></div><div>I have a client that has a 1950's house, and wants to keep her fireplace. She is very green, but is very opposed to fossil fuel use. She would like a solution for occasional heating that is not dependent on natural gas, but she IS concerned about particulate pollution. What should I tell her, I am not as up on EPA rated wood burning inserts as I should be. </div><div><br></div><div>If I need to convince her not to be so attached to the wood burning option, she is intelligent and interested, I am happy to do so, but I want to know what the best options are. </div><div><br></div><div>Thank you in advance for your answers.</div>
<br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Futura">Kirsten Flynn</font></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Futura">Designer</font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Copperplate Gothic Bold'"><b>Sustainable Home</b></font></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Futura"><a href="http://Sustainablehome.com/">Sustainablehome.com</a></font></div><div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Futura">650-855-9476</font></span></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
</div>
<br></div></body></html>