So another bank holiday and another nice long weekend to relax with the family and as usual im afraid the fireplace showroom and factory is closed untill Tuesday.
So we reopen on Tusday mornignat 9am and then try to fit a weeks worth of work into another short week, we are delivering again Wednesday and Thursday and of course Sunday.
So im afraid this weekend you will have to order online via our website or over the phone as viewings are not possible again untill Tuesday.
Just thinking about holidays here at Castfireplaces its not long till we take our two week break at the start of June and im realy looking forward to heading off to Cyprus for two weeks.
So please bear this in mind if looking to order a fireplace or stove from us here at castfireplaces there will be no delivery or collections for the first two weeks of June.
Right off to bed now its been a late one today and tomorow another day of relaxing i dont beleive i could have a better job then working here at Castfireplaces.

Being primarily an internet based company Castfireplaces have never used local advertising to promote our business to the people more local to us.
Over the years we have concentrated only on our online business this is what we will continue to do but have decided to take on our local fireplace shops as well as other internet based firms.
We already have a showroom stocked full of gallery fireplaces and whilst we do not intend to be based at the showroom we are going to promote our website and fireplaces to more local people as well.
We already have fireplace fitters who do work for us locally so we can also arrange to fit these as part of our service.
We will still only offer viewing by appointments at our showroom as we are still going to concentrate on being internet retailers its just the fact we want our local customers to know what we offer.
So castfireplaces are putting together a large local advertising plan involving papers, radio and are even having a look at TV advertising a big step i know but we are not frightened of expansion here at Castfireplaces.
With our vast knowledge and great customer service i know we can offer a service better than most and with the prices to be the same as our internet prices customers will save £100s of pounds when purchasing from us.
So keep your eyes out in the local press they are due to start around August when the weather changes and we once agin enter heating season.

Nostalgia has gripped me today as i was at the warehouse this morning meeting different customers who had come to view our Fireplace Showroom
I was lighting the stove in our showroom and had a flashback to when i was a child and my mum lighting the coal fire in a house we lived in at Nottingham.
I could see it clear as day her holding up newspaper over the opening to get it draw faster and get the fire going as it must have been low on sticks.
I remember us all being huddled round this fire in the evening on the sofa and whenever it was lit it was a real focal gathering point for all our family.
Roll on more than 30 years and i still have such a fantastic feeling towards an open fire or indeed in my case a woodburning stove my son and daughter lay in front of it on a large rug or we are all seated on one sofa directly in front of this fire.
A real woodburning fireplace or stove does have such an attraction for all our family and i hope my children look back on such moments with great fondness like me.
There really is no better feeling than coming in from the cold and relaxing in front of a nice warm fire im very tempted to light mine at home now even though its not that cold i really just love fire.

Castfireplaces are one of the best fireplace shops online and in my opinion the best with our delivery service, knowledge and all round family based approach to our business.
This service is not just an online bonus we also do have a showroom at our factory premises in Langley Mill where we welcome our customers to come and browse what we have on offer and dont forget all items in our showroom are at our online prices.
This is by appointment only and customers are welcomed into our showroom for any advice prior or indeed after purchase, you will have one of the most pleasant shopping trips with no pushy salesman all from someone who has over 20 years experience of fireplaces and stoves.
This is what we do and only what we do we are fireplace retailers so come and have a visit to our fireplace showroom the kettle is always on and we also have cold drinks for our customers and you can spend as much time as needed sorting out your perfect fireplace.
We have a range of Limestone, Cast Iron, Timer and Granite fireplaces on display in traditional and modern designs and we believe we have one of the best showrooms locally for gallery fireplaces.
So pick up the phone or send us an email and come and view what Castfireplaces has to offer and if you do not wish to visit you can still order online.

Good afternoon and ive had rather a nice day today and bunked the morning of work to go and visit Tony from our suppliers at the new factory unit they have purchased in Colwick.
I have dealt with Tony and Mike his brother for many years now and we have all been friends since, anyway Tony has been telling me stories about the new unit he has bought in Colwick around the same time we purchased our site in Langley Mill.
So today i have made the time to go and visit our fantastic suppliers new home for all the fireplace and stoves stock.
They are moving in stages and the manufacturing unit which makes Hearths and Brick Chambers is due to move in June this year followed by the office and warehousing the following year.
So an hour spent having a guided tour of their new home and a nice cuppa with some chocolate biscuits i bought them im glad i made the effort to go.
So i have been back in the office this afternoon planning this weekends fireplace delivery runs and have put website work on hold for another week when will i ever learn to make promises about adding new things there is always something else to do.

So we are going to have a range of bio ethanol fireplaces for sale on our website and are currently in the process of adding these items we will of course be having a couple of models on display at our showroom for our customers to come and view.
The range we are having are contemporary and feature glass and brushed steel which offer a modern look to a fireplace, we are going to offer freestanding and wall mounted bio ethanol fires and these will be on our website very soon
Bio ethanol fireplaces offer the following features

The hypnotic dancing real flame is consistent and fully controllable. A gentler and more elegant flame pattern than that of a woodburner or gas fireplace. The reflections of the flames on the glass and stainless steel are particularly attractive.

Flueless – all of our bio-ethanol fireplaces are completely flueless and require no chimney whatsoever due to the ultra clean burning nature of the bio-ethanol fuel. The fire can be used in any room of the house or outside.

At the heart of the fire is the stainless steel removable combustion block. A solid dual-layer block, far superior to most bio-ethanol fires on the market and having been tested to meet strict German regulations.

Once poured into the combustion block, the fuel soaks away into a special material which acts like a sophisticated wick, only releasing the optimum amount of fuel as required. This allows a very efficient, constant and long burn time, fully controllable with a variable-rate sliding closure mechanism. A single fill can burn for up to 5 hours.

So as you would expect we will also be selling the fuel too and have this on order to arrive next week we also have nearly ready a range of ethanol fires to fit our current casts and the display model is currently being shipped from Germany for us to try in our showroom prior to ordering ill let you all know more when it arrives

A simple question but one we get asked quite often here at Castfireplaces as to whether our customers can use a granite hearth for solid fuel use, the answer is a yes and no and ill explain further.
Granite hearths in a single piece can not be used for soild fuel as granite has no heat resistant properties and when used under the heat from solid fuel it will simply crack down the centre, when in one single piece they are designed to be used for gas or electric use where the heat generated is not enough to damage the hearth.
So when it comes to using them for solid fuel use we do what is called cut and slabbed, basically the hearth is cut into sections for solid fuel use with it being in 4 sections and it also has 4 little heat plates at the rear of the hearth to absorb more of the heat.
These simple joints allow for expansion and contraction in the hearth so it will not split, the underneath of these hearth is also filled with a vermiculite cement base to dissapate the heat throught the hearth.
There is no other solution for it these joints have to be there to ensure the hearth does not crack it is the same for slate too as this is also a natural stone.
So i hope this makes sense a little bit more now and if you are in doubt please contact us

With the recent price rise in postage charges a few weeks ago with stamps rising it has also been announced that small parcels will follow suit
The cost of posting a parcel is to go up by a staggering 70% Royal Mail announced the rise just a week after it put up the cost of a first class stamp by a third to 60p.
Small parcels weighing under 100 grams now cost £1.58 to post first class.
But from April 30 they will cost £2.70, as the Royal Mail scraps its banding system for different weights and brings in a flat rate up to 750g
Now this is a staggerning rise in any terms and will affect all small businesses that send items via Royal Mail, smaller items from our Care Products on on our website like Black Lead Grate Polish, Paint etc is all sent from Castfireplaces via Royal Mail.
Anything over the normal parcel rate we send by TNT next day delivery service which we find far more realiable than Parcelforce and other couriers so hopefully this will not be affected.
So with the cost of postal charges increasing and the price of bubble wrap and packing tape etc we will have no option but to increase our postal charges or look for another way to send these items out.
For most of our small parcels we charge £4.95 inc VAT which is done at cost to keep our prices competitive so please bear in mnd price increases on our postage and delivery charges are going to increase there is veryy little we can do about it and we do not work on large enough margins to absorb these ever increasing costs.

When buying a fireplace or stove online its a small minefield and consumers can often make expensive mistakes by not buying the correct product or purchasing it from a cowboy business.
Im afraid there are cowboys and compnaies out to rip people off and the fireplace trade is no different be very careful who you purchase your new fireplace and stove from.
As a minimum requirement they must have a contact page where you can see exactly who they are and where they trade from, most genuine companies have a phone number listed just ring it and see if they answer.
Most profesional firms will have VAT and Registered Company details there too do a little research first before ordering to check they are genuine.
Ive heard of fireplace firms where the phone is never answered and all queires are dealt with by email only not ideal if you have a problem or even worse how do you get hold of them if your fireplace does not arrive.
The reason for todays blog is because a customer rang us this morning after ordering a fireplace from Ebay three weeks ago and it has not arrived and they can not get a response from the retailer.
She managed to get her money returned as she had paid by paypal and has now contacted us to buy it from us, the amazing thing was the Ebay Cowboy was £15 more expensive than us too so she was not even saving money.
Im buy from loads of online shops but if its a new site im using i do my research first and my advice for shopping online is simple
Ring them
Google search them
Check contact page detials
And always pay by credit card incase anything should go wrong
If any of these things do not add up dont order from them there are always more shops out there and at the end of the day whats £10 if you can be sure your item will arrive

Now here at Castfireplaces im fully aware we are very competitive on prices and with our fantastic service believe we are the best fireplace company online a huge boast i know but im sure of it.
Now online customers come online for price comparisons and to save money if they can and the fireplace trade is no different, in our fireplace packages we have a basic package price which is for Solid fuel (real fire) and we offer our customers options to swap to gas and electric and also to change the hearth.
These options are applied at cost to ensure customers do not pay over the odds for the perfect fireplace for them just see some recnt feedback from one of our happy customers

Hi Mark,

Here are a few comments for you re the Pembroke fireplace we bought from yourselves recently

We bought the fireplace as we knew we wanted the Pembroke black and thought that this style of fireplace would be perfect in the living room of the edwardian house we are currently rennovating. Having searched around the internet and our local fireplace shop, Castfireplaces represented by far the best value for money, which was an important consideration for us. Where as some sites were adding on alot extra for the gas fire element of the set, Castfireplaces were very reasonable. Because of the period of our house I paid a small additional amount to have the fireplace supplied with a matt black tiled hearth, Mark was very helpful in making sure that this would be sent out as requested and it suits the house perfectly. Delivery was super efficient, it was particularly helpful that we were told the day before that delivery would be made before 8am and true to Marks word this was the case. Such early delivery was great for us as it meant no waiting in and no disruption to our working day. Without hesitation I would reccormend castfirerplaces to others looking for their perfect fireplace.

Kind Regards,

Kayleigh

So as you can see we do have all the options for a perfect fireplace and do not charge our customers huge amounts to swap anything
Thats another reason why shopping with Castfireplaces is the best online