It may reduce the resale value but it depends on what you ultimately do to
make up for it. If you believe this modification better suits your
lifestyle then go for it. You can always put in a gas fireplace in a
different location if you want, much less substantial chimney is needed for
those. Unvented models are also available, you could have your fireplace
and your windows.

You might even be able to dispose of the bricks for free, try a post on
craigslist for example. They can be used for fill or cleaned off and
reused.


"Art" wrote in message
ps.com...
Hi:

I'm new to this group and wondered if anyone had any advice about the
following:

We have an old house with a nice old granite fireplace which seems to
let in a lot of cold air. It also doesn't allow passive solar heating
during the day, as the adjoining room (both south-facing) does, which
has windows. We don't use the fireplace, and won't. Does it make sense
to knock it down and put in energy-efficient windows across the
south-facing wall, adding heat and light during the day? We're not
planning on selling the house -- at least within 10-15 years. We live
in a Northwestern marine climate (Tacoma): lots of rain, not too hot in
the summer, down to about 20F in the winter.

Thanks for any help

Art