When fitting a stove or using a chimney liner and gather hood we do get asked by customers which is the best way to seal either the flue or register plate.
The idea of a register plate is to form a seal to the chimney breast forcing the flue to draw through the flue pipe and not pull air round the sides of the register plate.
The best way to do this is to seal the register plate to the chimney breast and we use a heat resistant silicone this is now available for sale on our website and is offered in Grey or Black.
It has a temperature resisatnce of 300 degrees which is perfect for sealing around the register plates and also the flue, once fitted and sealed this will ensure its airtight and then the stove can only pull air through the air intake slide.
This gives far better control over the stove and will also stop soot and debris from the chimney landing on top of the stove, we do not use fire cement for this purpose as it will simply crack and fall out this is used for sealing the flue to the collar and nothing else.
Castfireplaces do not suggest you fit a stove yourself and strongly suggest you use a HETAS registered fitter for any solid fuel installation and this advice is for customers who have had stoves fitted and wish to seal the debris plate or flue

Good afternoon here at Castfireplaces we sell the gallery range of fireplaces and stoves and all the items we sell are covered under 12 months warranty.
When this applies to the stoves all parts of the stove are under warranty except the Glass and the Firebricks, this is because they are classed as consumable items within the stove and are designed to be replaced with wear and tear.
The back bricks are prone to cracking and we covered this in an earler item explaining that it will not damage the stove.
Most of the brick damage is caused by throwing in logs or coal against them as they are clay they will simply crack we can not replace these under warranty as they are parts they are designed to be replaced.
Glass is also not covered under warranty as it will not break under normal use and can only be damaged by mechanical damage they are designed to be used under high temps and will not crack from this use.
The bars, grates, baffle plates and the stove itself is covered under warranty should you have any problems which is very rare so if for any reason you do have a problem with your gallery stove within the 12 months of sale please contact us so we can arrange to sort it out for you.

Here at Castfireplaces when customers order fireplaces and stoves from us we do have lists of profesional fireplace fitters for both gas and solid fuel installations and rest assured they are HETAS and GAS SAFE registered.
It’s all well and good having a gas safe registered plumber to connect your gas fire but to be honest they are not very experianced at installing traditional fireplaces.
The companies Castfireplaces put you in contact with are all fireplace and stove fitters and basically thats all they do so you can be sure of it being installed correctly.
So im not saying you have to use these installers its just a good idea to ensure everything goes smoothly and is installed correctly.
Of course with them being registered fitters it automatically means it passes all relevant tests and they will issue a certficate for the installation.
You can take a chance on a local builder or plumber but if this is done like this make sure it is signed of by your local council building controls.
So when you order from us here at Castfireplaces just ask us if you require a fireplace fitter and we will put you in direct contact with them and you can arrange for them to come and visit you.
So be safe and have your new fireplace fitted by a professional fitter

So i have been contacted today by a customer asking our advice about a Firefox 8 Stove they had around 18 months ago and as to if we could supply a replacement clay firebrick for the back of it as his had broke.
Now this is pretty simple to replace but i always check with our customers as to the condition of the firebrick if its simply cracked there is no need to replace it as its still doing its job in protecting the cast iron back.
I advise our customers not to replace them untill they are crumbling away and are beyond repair this is when they should be replaced.
As they are clay the larger bricks in the Tiger and Firefox stoves do tend to crack around the middle due to the heat or even coal or logs thrown against them.
Another way to prolong the life of your firebrick is to make a repair using fire cement to repair and stick it back together again but to be honest i really would just leave it.
Fo those of you saying a crack will allow the heat through and damage the stove well its made of cast iron and the crack is no worse than the join in the corners of the stove where it meets the side brick.
So save your hard earned money and wait till its no longer useable and then order one here at Castfireplaces we will be listing the back fireplace brick on its own as we can now purchase these seperately in stead of in sets so if the side two are ok you only need to change the back one.

Something that has been discuused amongst the trade for a while is the problem of DIY fireplace and stove fitters who decide to fit the fireplaces or stoves they have purchased themselves.
Not a good idea to be honest there are laws in place and fitting a new fireplace or stove comes under Building Regulations and these need to be adhered too.
So many people are fitting them with very little knowledge of what needs to be done you can DIY fit if it is then inspected by building controls and a certificate issued.
When using a HETAS registeref fitter they will provide you with a certificate after installation to confirm it all complies with current regulation.
So ive heard from manufacturers saying the stove warranty will be invalid unless it has been fitted by HETAS qualified fitter or signed off by building controls and before deciding to replace any part or make any repairs under warranty they will ask to see a copy of the certificate.
So there has never been more reason to get your stove fitted correctly as im pretty sure not complying with building controls will also invalidate your home insurance as well as your stove warranty.
So dont be a DIY DAN get a expert to install your fireplaces or stove for you to ensure you have a valid warranty such the worse happen and you need to have something done to your stove.

After the made Christmas rush im please to say our made to measure granite and tiled items including fireplace chambers, hearths etc are back at a normal delivery time as some of you are aware before Christmas im afraid it was 4 weeks.
Anything in the world made to measure takes time and our normal turn around is two weeks for made to measure hearths and for our timber mantels these can normally done in around 7-10 days.
Our fantastic suppliers are now back up to full speed and have cleared the Xmas backlog so things are a little less pressed for them so we are again quoting 2 weeks for made to measure itmes.
We have also been very busy too with wooden mantel manufacture but again we managed to get everything made before Christmas that we promised so we are now around the 7-10 day time for anything that requires a made to measure element.
So i hope this works in all your planning time scales i know customers do not like to wait but bespoke items do take time to manufacture and an instant turn around is not possible.
If you do need something bespoke asap please contact us and we will see if we can do anything for you but were not miracle workers yer so please allow us some leeway

When fitting a new stove to an existing flue system its normally ideal to get a stove wioth the same size flue connection to avoid having to replace the flue system you already have in place or having to buy other parts to make it work.
Now all of the stoves we sell work on either a 5″ or 6″ flue connection and this to be honest is pretty standard i know Machine Mart with the range of clarke stoves they sell work on such weird sizes only there own products fit them.
Anyway todays story is from a customer we are supplying a Firefox 5 Stove to and they have an existing flue systme with 6″ vitreous pipe and do not wish to change it.
This is perfectly fine there is no reason you can not increase in flue size say going from a 5″ to 6″ is no problem but the stove will not work correctly if you try to decrease the flue size from say 6″ to 5″.
Keen to keep the fitting costs to a minimum he rang us asking if we could supply a 5″ to 6″ increasing adapter and with a few minutes online i had found something that would work.
Google is a wonderful tool if you know what you are searching for its not something we stock here at Castfireplaces but with a little work we have found something that our customer can use.
We always go that little bit further here to make sure our customers have the best service online thats why shopping at Castfireplaces is the place to shop for fireplaces and stoves

What a strange start to an article telling customers not to buy a fireplace but thats exactly what i have done here today at Castfireplaces not for the first time may i add.
We are a reputable company who want our customers to be happy with the fireplaces and stoves they have purchased from our company, so this morning i was at the showroom meeting some people who had come to view fireplaces and in particular the Pembroke or Celtic Combination fireplace.
They were in such a rush to get one as the floor is being layed next Friday they came without chimney dimensions, opening sizes etc.
Now they live in Branston near Burton upon Trent not too far away but the husband only had today off to get a fireplace sorted after visiting the showroom they decided they prefered the Palmerston 54″ mantel with a Jubilee arched fireplace.
As they did not know they chimney breast sizes i explained it may be too big etc or dominate the chimney breast and room etc with it being such a large item.
He was keen to purchase it and take it away worrying about the wooden floor being fitted i told them not to panic we can delivery it Monday morning if needed and to make sure everything fits and looks right.
So away they went armed with brochures and measurements i even cut them two carboard hearth templates to try as they said it was tight for room etc.
So an hour later and they were back on the phone the chimney breast is only 52″ wide so the Palmerston would not have fitted onto the chimney breast.
So pembroke ordered and being delivered Sunday on the way home from London it just goes to show you others would have sent them away with anything so as not to lose a sale were different here i want your fireplace or stove to be perfect and be the main focal point of your room if that means losing sales on the way so be it that’s just what we do here

As most of our customers may be aware of when fitting a new solid fuel appliance a carbon monoxide detector is required to comply with Building Controls.
Most sensible people have these fitted by a HETAS registered fitter who will make you aware of such a requirement but i do realise alot of our customers attempt a DIY fit saying they will have it signed off by building controls.
A requirement of this law is to have an approved detector fitted in the same room as the stove so we have decided here at Castfireplaces to make it clearer on our website that customers require this.
So on all of our stoves we have added the option of choosing a carbon monoxide detector whilst shopping for this item (it can be simply added to the basket) and have also added the following banner at the bottom of each page

Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Castfireplaces can supply a Kidde Carbon monoxide alarm to comply with the regulations below just add it as an option above

As you can see its pretty eyecatching and clearly explains the requirement for such a device, safety is something we take very seriously here at Castfireplaces and warning our customers abouth the regulations in force are a priority.
This is another job ticked of my to do list for our website and throught January we will be making changes to our website to make shopping at Castfireplaces one of the most informed easiest websites to use.

We have had a customer contact us today with this enquiry
I’ve finally got my living room finished and the fireplace has been fitted and am just awaiting someone to come round and switch on the gas.

But, unfortunatley the cat has been sick on the slate hearth and a couple of drops of water have landed on it as well, both leaving a whitish stain.
I’ve tried white distilled vinegar but this has only made it much worse.
I was wondering if this is a problem you’ve come across before and if you have any solutions or suggestions? The hearth hadn’t been sealed so maybe this is the root of the problem. But short of taking the whole fireplace out and replacing the hearth, do you have any recommendations

Now to be honest ive not had this before regarding the slate but idid a little googling and found this soloution

Sweep the area clear. You are going to be scrubbing the stains, and if you have dirt or grime in the area, then you may just make “clean” mud that will make it difficult to determine if you are actually making progress on the stains.

Mix up your cleaning solution. Combine half a cup of vinegar, half a cup of lemon juice and half a cup of baking soda in the bowl. This should form a paste. If necessary, add a little water or more baking soda to make the paste thick but manageable.

Apply the paste to the stains. Layer on a thick coating of the paste; then lay a damp, warm cloth over the entire treatment. You can leave it there for up to 20 minutes.

Scrub the stains. Using a damp scrub brush, use firm, circular motions to remove the stains. Rinse regularly, since the paste may get in the way when it comes to determining how effective your efforts are.

So i have emailed our customer this advice and we shall see how he gets on with it i really hope it works and the hearth does not have to be replaced ill let you all know in time