It sounds like you have a full chimney. Why can't you keep the doors closed when the fire place is turned on? I live in a cold climate so just about all of the fire places around here use outside air for combustion and don't need to draw air from the house for combustion which means the glass doors can be closed when the fireplace is being used. If you need to keep your doors open, then you must not use outside air. With kids, the biggest advantage of glass doors is being able to close the doors while the fireplace is in use--at worst they get a burn from the hot glass if they are playing around the fire place and happen to touch it. Screens are much more easily moved or tipped over. As chisue said, another advantage of the doors is (if you can close them while the fireplace is on) that you prevent conditioned air from going up the chimney. Good luck.

"... Her house build demonstrates that. She described the floor and stair riser issues in her first post ..." She does not go into detail on why the condition of the construction is the way it is. You are assuming it was all the gc's fault. While I am certainly not going to defend the GC she fired, I will say part of that condition might have been from the house being open to the elements for a period of time. ANother part was that she never gave the original GC the opportunity to make the work that was done ready to be installed over. The GC did not complete the project and was removed from the job before he could finish his work, so of course it was not ready to be installed over, because the work was not completed and the original GC did not have the opportunity to make sure the stair system or any other part was in a ready state to be installed over. She very well may have had just cause to remove the CG, but nevertheless she took on the GC responsibility on herself to ensure it was ready for finish trades. I believe it is apparent that this house was not ready to have finished trades in it performing finish work, and it was her responsibility as GC to make sure it was unless soneone else accepted that responsibility by contract. "...A person does not require a GC to have a floor put down. ..." The problem with this is that it was not as simple as getting a floor put down in a home that was ready to have finish trade present. Again, we do not know what caused the stair issues, which could have been: Framing problems caused by the GC's incompetance, or being open to the elements, which flooring installer holds no responsibility for because its a hidden condition, unless it was a tile contractor who must check for build stability, and deflection and rigidity requirements. You might not be aware that carpet, wood, and resilient installers are noit trained for, nor do they hold any responsibility or liability for framing issues. All of which she holds responsibility for as the project GC. The only way the flooring installers would hold liability and responsibility for framing (hidden conditions) issues is if it was addressed on their bids that they agreed to do the work. Any flooring installer would address this in their bids if they elected to take on the added responsibility and liability from stair framing condition and height requirements she may ahve had which could only ahve been taken care of with additional prep they should have addressed in their bids if they wanted to take on the additional responsibility and liability for an added fee. Additionally, she admitted she has no local building codes for such things as stair height. Could they have done better...sure. But it begins and ends with who is liable and responsible. She took that on by electing to be her own project GC. "... While it might have been possible for her to have stepped in earlier to babysit the install where she would have seen that they weren't able to handle the job, stopping it sooner than what happened, that doesn't relieve that company of their total responsibility for having installed a floor over an (obviously) unsound substrate. You can't remove prep from the flooring equation. The flooring company is the professional here and in charge of their own work. It's their job. Once they start putting the floor down, they have accepted the substrate as sound and taken ownership of the results. They did not act responsibly or professionally. Period. Doesn't matter who did the hiring. They and they alone are responsible for their own incompetent work ..." Again, (and again, and again, and again) an installer absolutely is responsible and liable for the surface they install over. However, I will disagree that prep cant be removed. It very well can, and often is removed. While most professional flooring installers do much surface prep, others do not, and FEW, if any, will concern themselves with framing issues AT ALL. I do, but most do not. It all boils down to what was included in the bid. Flooring installers have no responsibility to do added prep work unless they agree to be contracted to do it. They ahve every right to stop work, tell the GC this or that prep needs done before continuing, and tell them to give them a call when its ready to be installed. Lastly, you seem to be taking everything she says as gospel. I dont. I have alot of experience with customers, and customers lie alot... and often. Mostly to save face, save a buck, and/or to shirk their responsibility. The customer is not always right. Thats a falicy. I find it hard to believe that she had issues with the GC, then issues with all the trades. Everyone was wrong in every aspect of this project ... except her. I dont believe that for a moment, but I am not saying its impossible. What I see as possible is someone who bit off more than they could chew, and is blaming everyone else. I am not stating no one else holds any blame though. Could be a little of each. Bottom line its mostly her responsibility unless she has a piece of paper saying different ...except the subfloor issues which the installers absolutely are responsible for if they elect to do the prep and/or install over it.

When I am a guest, I always offer my help but do as the hostess asks. When I am the hostess I do NOT want people washing dishes and cleaning up. If they want to bring their plate from the table, I let them, but I prefer to do all that, also, as people generally just set dirty dishes all over the place and don't attempt to stack plates or bowls, put flatware in one place, etc., so the countertops instantly become filled with mess. I prefer to put food away after the meal, and maybe stack and organize the dirty dishes, but then I would rather enjoy the guests' company and clean the kitchen up after guests all leave. Besides, I had a guest (close family member) once start using a stainless steel scrubby on my sterling silver!!!!!!!!!! I quickly took it out of her hand and handed her a soft cloth to wash them with. I also do NOT like hunting for everything in the cupboards when others have put clean dishes away. I don't understand the 'out of sight no matter what' philosophy. I have an extremely organized kitchen for a reason, and I just prefer to do the work in it myself. I do happen to be a person who enjoys washing dishes and loading dishwashers. It is my down time when I reflect on the evening and other matters.

Not sure I agree. Unfortunately we're really missing some critical information such as if or when it compounds or are you just talking simple interest? That'll make a difference. Don't know start and end dates and don't know due dates and other terms or if there's any other charges involved - presumably not. Also the way it sounds there's no payments made, so from the simplest standpoint it could accumulate as follows: Loan originates on 9/22/9 with monthly payments. 9/22/9: 10% divided by 12 months = 0.83333333333333% per month. First payment would be due the following month and interest would accrue then, not in September. 10/22/9: 453.58 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.78 (plus prior balance = 457.36) 11/22/9: 457.36 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.81 (461.17) 12/22/9: 461.17 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.84 (465.01) 1/22/10: 465.01 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.88 (468.89) 2/22/10: 468.89 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.91 (472.80) 3/22/10: 472.80 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.94 (476.74) 4/22/10: 476.74 x 0.83333333333333% = 3.97 (480.71) 5/22/10: 480.71 x 0.83333333333333% = 4.01 (484.72) From this, 484.72 would be the end balance with accumulated interest. Subtract the starting amount of 457.36 would equal $31.14 in interest and totaling the monthly interest double checks at $31.14. You put it as a "bill" so if the first due date was September 22, 2009, then it might shift things back a month and add another $4.04 to the interest equaling $35.19 in interest unless there's a credit for paying 2 days early, which I'd assume isn't the case. And if it's not paid on time, it could add another interest charge too, but I'm assuming that's also not the case. So, with the limited info, that's the best I can guess.