Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Ideas for cleaning up fireplace

The house we recently purchased has a stone wall with a fireplace built in (unfortunately it's at floor level, I wish it were higher). It's a pretty small fireplace, not very deep. When we burn wood in it, the fireplace smokes, by the looks of the wall, it always smoked. We have a clean chimney - I just think the design & implementation of the unit was well thought out.

Anyhow we want to clean up the interior of the fireplace and want to know the best way to do this. The fireplace seems to have an iron insert - any ideas what would be the best compound to clean this thing up? Right now it's just a black hole in the wall, we want to brighten it up a bit and put in a decorative screen of some sort.

Also, if we are able to clean it up some, can the metal be painted? If so, if someone tries to use the fireplace, are there special paints that can withstand the heat of a fire?

For some pictures - check out:

http://bclasen-house.buzznet.com/user/.


Thanks,
Bob

Does it smoke if you open a window are door a little near it. Could be it dont get air for its flue. Also a glass door on it sure helps

ED ;)

you have a steel firebox, you could cut it out and build a brick firebox, id go with rumford firebox, or you could sand it and paint it with a high tempature paint, I dont know how long the paint would last but it may be worth a try, really you have a smoking problem anyway, so your flue could be too short or negitive pressure, a defaulted damper... building a rumford and take the flue up and maybe if nessicary drop a liner down it and make that thing draw... thier are number of reasons for a back puffing chimney, I suggest you have a certified sweep come out and take a look.