On our website we sell a varied range of Multi fuel stoves which are working heating devices and are designed to be used regularly.
As this is normal and they are working it is quite hard to keep in perfect clean order as they are a solid fuel device and no matter how hard you try solid fuel is still dirty.
Ash and soot etc form around the door and when opening for refilling it often spills onto the stove and the hearth it just can not be avoided.
Over a hard winters use it is a good idea as covered here before in a little mainteanace but today we are going to cover the refinishing of the cast iron stove.
All our gallery and Carron stoves are made from cast iron which has an applied heat resistant finish which works very well.
With all working appliances a little maintenace is needed, the gallery stoves come with a touch up kit which is ideal for small scratches and blemshes but over time it will be neccesary to recoat the stove.
On our website we sell two good products the firest being stove and grate polish which comes in around tin and is ideal for reapplying a matt black finish to the appliance.
It needs to be done when cold and is just stippled into the surface with a short brush excees wiped clean with a rag and then left to dry for 30 mins before buffing with a shoe brush.
We also sell balck lead grate polish for the more traditional black leaded finish again apply using the same methods.
Following this will keep your fireplace or stove looking great for years to come

This is a topic both myself and Darren have become an expert in this last week at.
As we have been constructing a new showroom and moving our fireplace displays across to the new building this week we have been polishing them as we install them into their new home.
Now as there has been no heating on in Unit 3 it has been a little cold to say the least and the cold damp weather seems to have had a rusting effect on our polished and highlighted fireplaces so much so a huge amount of time this week has gone into repolishing and making them look like they should again.
Anwyay i can honestly say the Multi Metal Polish we sell on our website really does the trick and used with a nylon scourer or 0000 grade wire wool fetches the rust off in no time.
This is a little time consuming but to be truthful well worth the elbow grease our cast iron fireplaces are now shining like never before.
This process does need to be done in your home as the cast will draw moisture from the air so the damper and colder your house is the more often it will want doing.
For normal cleaning conditions we use WD40 sprayed onto a rag which will clean and protect the polished parts of your fireplace do not use it on black surfaces.
If you do have some heavy rust spots i can honestly recommend the metal polish we have not found any rust it can not remove this week and that comes straight from experaince i really do have confidence in all our care products.

Fireplaces can deteriorate in many different ways. Hearth stones may break; surrounding tiles can become stained. However, if you are willing to make some effort, in most cases restoration can be successfully carried out.

When replacing hearth slabs, use a cardboard template to gauge size and similarly, with tiles, cardboard templates can be used to plan layout and determine the number of tiles you will need.

When prying out hearth stones, cover the floor surrounding the fire first of all and also ensure that you do not press too hard as this will damage the concrete underneath. Having done so, lay a concrete topping and smooth it with a screed, using a flat trowel in the corners.

Next, put down adhesive, making ridges using a notched trowel. You will often get a tool for doing this when you purchase the adhesive. Put the tiles in place and press them in, ensuring they do not move and are at a uniform height. When tiling on the sides of the fireplace, use a straightedge to ensure they are in line. Inside tiles will need to overlap the firebox slightly while those at the top should be flush with it. When you’ve finished, leave the adhesive to set overnight.

Hello
Another common question that gets asked by customers mainly after the fireplace is fitted and the fireplace fitter has gone and left the customer to finish off tidying up.
When fitting Cast Iron Fireplaces it is difficult to keep them clean at the same time as its quite a dirty job due to soot and chimney dirt.
So when the fitter has gone we often get rung by customers asking for a little advice how to clean the black finish on the fireplace.
The answer is pretty simple and its not something we normally advise for cleaning cast iron with (do not try this on polished surfaces) we have found that a damp cloth with very little water on and go over the whole surface then dry off with another clean cloth normally does the trick.
It is essential to dry the cast fireplace straight off and not allow the water to sit on the surface other wise it could start to rust, if the stains are a little stubbron such as adhesive or cement you may have to use warm water with a little detergent again dry it off.
Never soak the cast iron or rub to hard as it will remove the paint.
If this does not remove the stains the only other option is top respray the whole cast using our Heat temp Matt black paint
This is really the last resort as you have to mask off the whole area before spraying and makes sure everything is covered before you start.

To Black Lead or Not to black lead now thats the Question

For those of you not following what i mean Black lead or Grate polish as it is now known due to lack of lead in it these days is a traditional black polish used on cast iron fireplaces, ranges and stoves to give them an authentic look.
I can honestly remember my Nana polishing the kitchen range in the house they lived in when i was a child, im sure she used to mix it with some sort of thinners to make it go further and then put it on with a cloth and then buff it off with a shoe brush and a clean rag.
As my grandad used to work at Scetchleys rags were plentiful in there house and with black leading to be done they needed to be.

So the Black lead we sell is available in our Care products section and a tube will last you ages with enough grate polish to do your fireplace a few times over.
I always suggest to customers to try the black lead out on the reverse of the cast iron to see if they like the finish.
So here comes the advice bit
How do i polish my fireplace

1 Lay down plenty of paper and mask off ll the falls etc around the fireplace
2 Use some disposable gloves it can get messy
3 Put some of the paste and a small piece of plastic or wood and using a cut down paintbrush apply to the cast doing an area at a time but do the whole fireplace before next step.
4 Remove brush strokes with a rag polishing them all into the cast.
5 It may look dull at the monent but leave to dry for around 15 minutes.
6 Return with soft shoe brush and clean rag and buff the whole fireplace to required finsih and then finally rub over with clean rag to remove any excess.

It really is a simple as that you now have a traditional looking fireplace that really makes the features stand out and for regular cleaning just use a dry clean cloth untill it starts to look dull again then go over it all again
Happy Polishing

We have taken a phone call from one of our customers this morning after having people round yesterday for new years day dinner this morning they discovered when cleaning the house a stain on the Pine Bedford Mantel we supplied them with in December.
Unlucky for them i thought and asked what it was and the reply came Red Wine.
Mmmmm there really could not be much of a worse stain im afraid and of course its in the shape of the base of a wine glass not ideal as the fireplace is the main focal point of any room.
Our customer was going to bleach it before her husband told her to ring us never do this as it bleachs the wood too.
In the past ive tried to remove red wine from various timber products when we used to restore furniture at Derwentside, theres only 1 real sure fire way to get this stain out and im afraid that means wire wooling the whole shelf back to bare timber.
So after i explained what need to be done and how to refinish the surround using our water based stain mixed to our own secret recipe (only kidding) and then how to reapply the wax and buff to original colour they asked if we could do this for them.
Its not something we undertake in peoples homes but if they want to remve the surround we can collect it and then return it when restored.
I told them not to panic its simple to do and if they do make a mess of it which im sure they wont we can then collect and sort it out.
So if you wish to buy the wax we use to keep your fireplace mantel looking brand new just click on this Morells Morwax Medium Brown

Marble fireplaces are a great means of improving both the look and feel of your home. As well as bringing actual warmth, a real fire brings a warm, welcoming atmosphere too.

Marble is a great material for fireplaces as it is fairly easy to care for. Despite this, it is still important to know the right way to go about cleaning it.

Equipment that will come in handy includes cloths, mild soap, sponges, marble cleaner and marble sealer. When dealing with a fresh stain, you should first blot up any liquid and dry the area. This should be sufficient to deal with a spillage.

For older stains, you will need to use warm, soapy water. Wipe stains gently, but do not scrub them. You can then blot with a clean cloth and see whether you’ve managed to remove the mark. If not, repeat the process.

As a final step, you can use marble cleaner and sealer. This will return the marble to its best, preserving the natural finish and will ensure that you have a great looking fireplace that can remain the centrepiece of the room.

Is Summer at last upon us and will the fireplace season still be as manic now the warm weather is finally starting.
I know one thing today is nice and warm and even a little muggy as im sat here in my office answering some emails and basically writing my daily blog on what we do here at Castfireplaces.
It made me smile about an hour ago a customer of ours rang up to order replaceemnt grate and firebrick for his Tiger Stove he bought 3 years ago as the grate had warped and the brick had cracked.
I asked him whether he had it running today for ajoke seeing as its 27 degrees and he said he had made fire up in case it got a little chilly.
Chilly i laughed to myself its boiling hot anyway after joking for a while he said he has stove running most days and how much money it has saved him and his wife in Gas bills and wanted to get it all ready for winter.
I suppose really it makes sense giving your gas and solid fuel fireplaces and stoves a good thorough summer clean and its an ideal time to buy any spares that need sorting out before the cold weather returns and we are then back agian to having them in full use.
So take a little Advice from Mr Harvey today and give us a call if you need any fireplace spares.