Spring Loaded

Our 'energy star rated' home is so tight, maybe too tight?, that when we have a fire in the upstairs fireplace, there is not enough air for it to draw properly, so it smokes terribly. Not only that, it also sucks air in from the downstairs fireplace flue (even when it's closed) causing the downstairs to fill with smoke too. The fix is still in progress, which will include a fan on top of the upstairs fireplace flue, and a spring loaded damper for the downstairs flue.....already installed and shown here. Maybe we've taken making our houses energy tight a little too far? We were required to meet certain energy star requirements to get our Hinesburg Town Certificate of Occupancy. The energy police didn't much like us putting in a fireplace from the very start. But with 7 acres of woods and a pyromaniac for a husband, a fireplace was non-negotiable. Plus...winter in Vermont with no fireplace just wouldn't cut it.