Cast and Pine Direct » Fireplaces

Flue pipe arrives and Van is loaded by Jaiden

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:39:43 +0000

This afternoon we have a large delivery of flue pipe to our office address and as all our vans were out delivering it was stacked on our path waiting for the first van back so we can load it on and take it to the workshop.
So Steve was back around 2.30pm today after delivering around the West Midlands and Leicestershire, and when he returned from school my son Jaiden was keen to the load the van and of course wanted to be paid.
So he was left loading all the flue pipes brackets and new high temp sealers into the back of the van, he started of piece by piece and soon relaised he could manage two and then three.
So in no time at all the van was loaded full of flue pipe ready to restock our empty shelves at the workshop, Jaiden is now sat relaxing on the setee after being paid in front of our roaring Tiger Plus Stove.
Its funny he even knows they connect a stove to the chimney it just goes to show he takes an interest in what Dad does.
Right im off to plan all Thursdays delivery runs before Gym at 5pm on my new fitness regime thats the hardest bit of work in any day and hour with a personal trainer.

Flue pipe arrives and Van is loaded by Jaiden is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Castfireplaces has me working late on my Birthday

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:46:06 +0000

Well another hectic day and im still sat in the office sorting out all the paperwork for this weekends delivery runs to London and the South and i have another hours work to do before i finish.
Now its my Birthday today and ive had a very busy day with meeting customers, loading our fireplace delivery vans, office work and even finding time to update our articles section.
So by the time i finish there is not going to be much left of my birthday but work here has to be done by myself and Rhian as we run the company.
So with bad weather on the way and snow forecast for all of the UK poeple have again gone stove and fireplace shopping in droves which is why its so busy.
So i have my fingers and toes crossed the weather is kind to our drivers but im pretty sure they are in for a bad weekend when out delivering im looking forward to Saturday evening and Sunday at the Belfry for a fire and ice spa treatment so im not working this weekend.
So im going to finish off work now and finally relax and open a few cards and get the kids singing Happy Birthday.

Castfireplaces has me working late on my Birthday is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

You can tell the weather has turned cold its fireplace time

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:20:41 +0000

So another very busy day at Castfireplaces and the website orders and phones seem to have gone into overdrive like a cold November day with the i want it for Christmas mentality.
Its very strange in our trade what a little cold weather does and the fact people have been paid helps as they again have money to spend after the expense of December.
When the frost arrives sales of solid fuel fieplaces and stoves goes mad it happens everytime the thermometer reaches around the zero mark.
So with cold weather forecast for around a month if you believe what some forecasters are saying it appears Castfireplaces are going to be in for another very busy month.
We very well equipped to deal with even the most busiest months of the year so you can rest assured your chosen fireplace or stove will arrive in not time at all.
For those requiring miracles we do try but always have the option of collection if we can not meet your deadlines such as a customer today who has ordered a Daisy fireplace but needed it for the weekend im afraid there was no chance we could deliver for then so he is having it collected by courier from our Langley Mill showroom.
So get your fireplace or stove nice and early before the cold weather begins to bite as its forecast for minus 10 in some places this week which is really cold

You can tell the weather has turned cold its fireplace time is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Arctic Winter about to hit UK get your fireplaces ready

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:28:46 +0000

So looking at weather forecasts and its finally taking a turn for the worse and the Met Office says we are going to be hit by some arctic weather lasting a few weeks.
With this is supposed to be freezing temps and even some snow forecast, to be honest we have been very lucky this winter with the weather.
So when the weather does turn cold make sure your fireplace or stove is ready to be used and you have plenty of fuel either wood or coal to burn incase it gets very cold.
Here at Castfireplaces we are very well stocked of smokless coal and logs for our stoves both at home and also at our showroom in Langley Mill.
I love cold weather and love having a fire going to keep the winter weather at the doorstep so we have plenty of fuel and we ordered it early in aticipation of another harsh winter.
Im keeping my fingers crossed though it does not intefere with our fireplace home delivery service as much as inejoy snow it does cause chaos to the UK roads which makes it difficult for us to deliver fireplaces and stoves.
So get your fuel ready get your fireplace cleaned and lets all get ready for a little bit of cold weather and then you can really enjoy your new fire as its intended to be used.

Arctic Winter about to hit UK get your fireplaces ready is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Increase the value of your home with a fireplace

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:22:04 +0000

Few people don’t appreciate the appeal of a fire in winter. Central heating makes our lives comfortable, but no family gathers round the radiator on a cold winter’s night. Fires are a focal point and a good fireplace is something to be coveted.

As they are so popular, fireplaces can add value to your home. It’s not just real fires that are a hit with buyers these days either. Gas fires have moved on apace since the days when they were looked down upon as being faintly undesirable. Modern ones look great and provide many of the benefits of a real fire with far less hassle. So too electric fires, which aren’t the ugly pieces of equipment of days gone by, but striking focal points fit for the classiest of contemporary homes.

If you want to add a fireplace to your home, there are a few considerations, some of which may be structural if you’re adding a real or gas fire. If your room can accommodate a fire, do the job properly. Get something that looks good and don’t detract from it by placing the TV above it or anything like that. A good fire provides the heart and soul of a room, as well as the warmth.

Increase the value of your home with a fireplace is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Orders from Castfireplaces as another online retailer lets them down

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:54:46 +0000

It seems to be happening more often these days with our competitors advertising items that are not in stock and taking orders for them then to to cancel with the customer just before a due delivery date or failing to deliver ontime as in todays story.
I have just put the phone down from a customer based in Leeds who has ordered a Classic 8 Stove from us after ordering one from another online retailer.
This other fireplace company promised them a delivery on the 13th ,17th and again on the 18th January and failed to deliver three times, now at the very least that is poor service as our customer has waited in all day three times for her stove not to arrive.
Now when you shop at Castfireplaces not only do we tell you when its going to arrive we also give you a one hour window of when our drivers should be with you.
We never take orders on items that we know are out of stock and promise delivery times we know we can not keep, its not as if they were cheaper than us with our delivery charge we still were £8 cheaper than them and we can assure you it will arrive when we say it will.
So if you want the best service in the fireplace and stove trade order from Castfireplaces then sit back and relax and let us deliver your fireplace or stove ontime everytime.

Orders from Castfireplaces as another online retailer lets them down is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Does your normal fireplace shop offer our service

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:40:27 +0000

So we here alot of moans in the trade about internet based fireplace retailers and how we are killing the trade offering the fireplaces and stoves we sell at prices they can not or will not match.
The normal excuse is that we have no overheads to pay thats why we can offer them cheaper, the real reason is we work on lower margins and shift in volume to make profit.
Another great line is we only sell seconds this is simply untrue all our fireplaces come from the same source as your local shop.
So they then say well you wont get the same service so i thought i would address these view from some highstreet retailers.
Castfireplaces are unique we simply offer the best service online when buying a fire from us how can i say this.

Castfireplaces office times are from 9am till 8pm seven days a week
Knowledgeable staff we really know about the products we sell
Emails answered very quickly and always within a few hours
Showroom open at Weeknds and Early Evenings by appointment around our customers
Fireplaces and Stoves delivered by our own vans and staff with 1 hour time slot
Castfireplaces will bring the fireplace into your house
Sunday delivery run for London and the South
Collections available from our Showroom in Langley Mill
Huge amount of stock availble for collection
Fast despatch time as we normally have it in stock

So when shopping around whether on or offline find out what service other companies offer trust me nobody even comes close to waht we offer here and coupled with the fact we are very competitive on prices im sure you will not find a better place to shop for your new fireplace or stove

Does your normal fireplace shop offer our service is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Made to measure granite hearth and oak fireplace mantel

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:08:22 +0000

We were contacted in Mid-Late November as to whehter we could manufacture a made to measure granite hearth and a 48″ Oak Brompton Mantel for a customer based in Reading.
Emails were sent back and forth and a diagram for both the mantel and hearth approved and prices supplied our customer was happy with.
With Christmas approaching it was touch and go whehter this could be supplied in time but im glad to say it was delivered on our our Last London delivery date on the 18th December leaving the customer plenty of time to get it fitted
We recieved an email on New Years day which is shown below

Hi Mark,

Happy New Year!
I thought the entire process from initial conversations right through to delivery was perfect! My diagram was followed exactly (even after I changed it!), I was made aware of the estimated lead time and delivery times which were both very precise and overall the communication was excellent and the finished product just as I wanted. The oak surround was beautifully made and matched the dimensions from the website 100% and the bespoke granite hearth fits a treat just as intended! I would definitely recommend to anyone requiring a new fireplace to speak to you guys!

I have attached a couple of photos of the fire, please feel free to use them as you see fit (or not at all as they aren’t great quality!)

As you can see we have one very happy customer pleased with both the quality and service Castfireplaces offer dont just take my word for it have a read through our testimonials page where there are hundreds of genuine customer feedback reviews of work we have done.
We really are the number one place top shop online for a new fireplace or stove

Made to measure granite hearth and oak fireplace mantel is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Where has the fireplace lighting weather gone too

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:31:21 +0000

So where is the Janaury biting cold weather we have been used to in previous years ive got tons of logs and a coal bunker full of smokless fuel ready to light and enjoy our tiger plus stove we have at home.
Our firefox 12 in the showroom has been lit put really just to take the chill off and more for customers display benefits.
Im not joking today i have been at the factory and for an hour loading the vans i was in a tshirt and my work fleece jumper was cast aside like a Spring morning this is supposed to be winter and everything cold wintry.
Dont get me wrong it makes our delivery planning and operations so simple theres been very little frost to worry about and not a drop of snow to worry anyone of us.
Customers have again been busy buying fireplaces and stoves but as the weather is so mild at the moment id be suprised if any of them had actually had chance to use there new fireplace properly.
It’s always nice to be outside in cold weather and then enter a room where there is a roaring fire its a lovely feeling and warms you right through.
So play fair winter and give us a little cold weather im not asking for -20 centegrade just a few days of sharp cold snaps so i can get my fire roaring away

Where has the fireplace lighting weather gone too is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct

Return to work for Castfireplaces 3rd January

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:15:10 +0000

Hello and our last day off from work befroe we return to the fireplace world and start the job of delivering fireplaces and stoves, even though we have been off work since December 20th emails and phonecalls have been answered and customers questions answered.
We never truly seem to close our fireplace world but we only answer the phones and emails when we can not our normal instant service.
So Tuesday 3rd January sees us back in the office and showroom ready again for viewings and collections and our drivers restart on Thursday witha South West and North West Run.
Parcel collections are being collected by TNT as i have been to the factory and workshop between christmas and new year to make sure everything was ok and wrapped all these items up then.
We are having our 1st delivery from our suppliers on Wednesday so need to find out wahts coming into stock for non stock items customers have ordered so we can arrange delivery times.
So i have a very busy week ahead getting things going again at least its only a short week before the weekend is here again, im pretty sure all our excellent staff will have things sorted in not ime at all.
We also have to make a good amaount of made to measure fireplace surrounds customers have ordeered and these will be started Wednesday so will be with you asap.
So if you need a fireplace or stove give us a shout and with the amount we keep in stock it will not be long befores its arriving to you.

Return to work for Castfireplaces 3rd January is a post from: Cast and Pine Direct